The Curse of Forgotten Time
by Shattersoul
Summary: Not every Pokemon trainer is the same. However, when one spectacularly unlucky trainer manages to take a different path through life, he sets himself up for a journey unlike any other. A journey that will test his will, mind, and sanity. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Hello! Welcome to **The Curse of Forgotten Time**. This is my first fanfic, well, ever. I hope you enjoy it. (However, it most certainly is NOT the first version of this story. Wouldn't want to inflict THAT on anyone.)

Just for the record, almost all of the characters in this story will be OCs.

This story was originally posted on Serebii forums, under my other account, also named Shattersoul.

I plan on posting a new chapter every Sunday.

I do not own Pokemon. Sometimes I wish I did, but I do not.

* * *

* _Text*_ \- Telepathy

* * *

Prologue

My eyes fly open as the tell-tale sound of footprints echo through the ruins. For two hundred years, these walls have served as my haven, my refuge, and my home. They have also served as my prison, one of the last mementos still surviving of what I used to be. It had been decades since another creature had been within these ruins, centuries if I discounted my partner. And I know why they are here. A voice fills my mind, a familiar voice.

* _They're in the ruins._ *

Wordlessly, I reply. Could I even respond verbally now? It had been so long.

* _The ones you were speaking of earlier? The ones we assisted before? The ones who defeated him? The heroes?_ *

* _Yes, those two. They've entered alone, just as I requested._ *

* _Do they know who we really are? Much more is at stake here than ever before. This is our last, and only chance._ *

* _We can't keep this a secret forever, and our time is finally running out. Of all of the possible secret keepers I've examined over the years, these two show the most promise._ *

* _How long until they reach the deepest floor?_ *

* _I'm not entirely sure. Should be a long while, however._ *

* _Excellent. You should come down here: I can only assume that you are expected to not be on the surface._ *

I make a gesture, and reach out with my mind. Immediately, a dark, swirling vortex materializes before me, held open by the force of my will. For but a moment, it floods the chamber with a violet glow. In an instant, an Umbreon stands beside me. Nil. The portal's closing soon after, flickering and fading without my continued focus, eventually disappearing altogether with a nearly inaudible snap. I turn to Nil, my partner.

* _This is our only chance, you know. Such an opportunity will never present itself again._ *

* _I know. This is all or nothing. Failure isn't an option._ *

I pause for a moment before I reply, instead choosing to walk over towards one of the corners of the room. I approach an altar, engraved in runes, and grab the bag atop of it: a decrepit sack practically falling apart due to age. It takes me a moment to undo the rusty latch that holds the bag shut, but it takes little, if any effort. I smile as I reach within it, retrieving what little possessions I still own. As I do so, I glance back down towards the altar. Although at some point this altar may have served some nefarious purpose long, long ago, it was now only a table. An ornate table, but a table nonetheless.

I spread the handful of objects across the table, as I finally respond.

 _*We had quite a journey to get here, didn't we.*_

* _Indeed we did.*_

One by one, I examine the trinkets. A handful of metal scraps, red and white. A single, colorless stone, held aloft by unseen forces. A small leather pouch, full of shaped metal, now without meaning. A crystal pendant, in the shape of a crescent moon, darker than the night sky. A star-cut ruby, still us pristine as it was when I first obtained it.

I turn away from my possessions, and return to the conversation with my partner.

I grin for a moment as I ask a question we both know the answer to.

* _How did we end up here? I remember that I used to hate being with people. Now, we need to go looking for them. Before, it was just so we don't go insane. And now, it is so we aren't forgotten._ *

* _I only did it so that YOU wouldn't go insane. I was doing fine._ *

* _We both know that if I had went, you would have soon followed._ *

* _We both know that you would have never let that happen in the first place._ *

* _And so, it seems that this is the only remaining path forward._ *

The only path was ahead of us. But still, here I was, entrenched in the past. My own story, what had brought me here, to this very place, so far from where I had begun. To a life so different from the one I used to own. It takes very little to have fully submerged myself in my own memories. The memories of who we were, and how we got here.


	2. A Change of Plan

For the record, I plan on having a chapter revamped and posted on Sundays. No promises. If you feel like it, feel free to review: there is no such thing as bad criticism.

I do not own Pokemon. If I did, Regigigas would not be terrible.

* * *

I was born over three hundred years ago, in a little town on the southernmost portion of the Sinnoh region. No records of this town or its inhabitants remain.

Even before I left, I knew I was never going to be a particularly talented trainer. Unlike my peers, my interest was in the ancient ruins that littered Sinnoh, rather than the Pokemon that inhabited the region. For some reason, everyone was either too apathetic, or too afraid to explore them: this left the ruins undisturbed and oftentimes entirely undiscovered. Even the companies specifically created to explore ruins were ineffective, as they were either too bogged down by bureaucracy or just incompetent, leading to only portions of the ruins being explored, if at all. Further feeding my interests in the ruins were the countless rumors of untouched wealth hidden within them.

It was a custom, back then, for children to go on a Pokemon journey, as a coming-of-age ritual. So, when it was my turn to leave, I didn't complain. I hadn't spent much time learning the specifics of the journeys, or even the fine details about the various Pokemon in the region: I was too busy sneaking away, burying my nose in stories of adventure, exploration, and hidden treasure. I paid little attention in Trainer School, and avoided others around my age. I was more or less a recluse.

If I had known about the rules about the journey, I'd have known many things, but there were three that I should have known.

One: while the journey was mandatory to participate in, it was only mandatory once a trainer had reached the maximum limit before needing to leave. The limit was eighteen.

Two: a trainer is usually given at least two choices to choose as a starter pokemon.

And three: a trainer ALWAYS receives a Pokedex before they leave.

I knew none of this. So when I was asked to leave, in a less-than-polite manner, I took the single Pokemon I was given, and left. I was twelve at the time, and left the town with nothing but a shoddy backpack and the clothes on my back.

I knew enough about the operation of Pokeballs to call out my starter as I left, revealing an Eevee. Although I was initially fine with just having a Pokemon at all, my Eevee would quickly prove to become a hassle. It didn't listen to my commands, and was often sluggish or even directly went against my orders. Eventually, I gave up on trying to direct it around, and spent a short while thinking up a name for my new Pokemon. After several moments of coming up with a blank, I decided upon the name "Nil". It was quick to say, easy to remember, and when asked to do anything, my Eevee performed up to its name.

Slowly but steadily, I worked my way northwards. However, I simply did not have the control over Nil that the other passing trainers seemed to effortlessly possess. Sometimes I would wonder whether it was my fault, but either way, I did my best to work through it. I was far too naive back then.

Although I progressed steadily, I still had a difficult time. Twice groups of trainers travelling together offered me a spot to join them, but twice I declined. I never was a people person, and I wasn't willing to travel with anyone I didn't completely trust. I didn't understand the value of a companion, nor the immense difference between having a friend, and travelling alone. Besides, I wasn't entirely confident that I'd be able to contribute to their team at all, as both groups seemed by and far miles ahead of me.

Eventually, a month after leaving my home, I arrived at the first city on my checklist, a place known as Oreburgh. I was effortlessly steam-rolled by the first gym, and almost any trainer I crossed around the city it was located in. I lost several more times to the trainers orbiting the city in search of wild Pokemon, my self esteem was at an all-time low. When I was humiliated by a trainer's sole Magikarp, I finally quit. I recalled Nil, for what I swore would be the last time, placed her Pokeball within my bag, and moped off into the distance.

Without direction, I wandered down a road I had chosen, intent of finding a purpose, any purpose. Several times trainers passed me by, but as I apparently lacked Pokemon, they simply glanced towards me, and then turned away, intent on achieving success. One or two tried to pick a fight, to which I simply turned my empty pockets inside-out and pointed at my empty Pokeball belt in response. To my luck, not a single of them were dense enough to not understand that I wasn't worth anything.

I wandered for several days, following whatever road I felt would lead me further away. I slept under trees, and ate whatever berries grew from the bushes nearby. Once or twice, I stole supplies from a sleeping trainer, only to be chased off by their fellows. It was with luck, and only luck, that I eventually passed a ruins site, marked by beige tents rising out of a compound ringed by iron fencing. Remembering my dreams of exploration from before I began my journey, I approached the entryway to the encampment. To my surprise, the solid metal gate, sturdy enough to stop a rampaging Gyarados, was thrown open, leaving me to question their policies of security. I looked around, but there were no people in sight from outside of the gate. I steeled my nerves, and entered.

The mossy dirt road underfoot was soft, loosely packed, and uneven, proof that very few people moved about in this site. I directed myself towards the largest tent, determined to ask about assisting the exploration of these ruins.

The flap of the tent was heavier than it looked, but several moments and a bit of struggling later, I was within the tent. The inside was sparsely decorated: a shoddy oak desk, one rickety old bookshelf, and a flickering lamp resting upon the dirt floor. Piles of bones and discarded wrappers surrounded an overflowing waste basket, many of which formed a ring around the basket. Even worse, the tent smelled of the nauseating mixture of decaying trash and sweat. An elderly man sat behind the desk, wispy thin, badly shaven, and wearing a helmet that looked like it had been crushed by an angry Rhydon. I would have left immediately, had I not seen the hastily-constructed name tag on his desk, which simply stated "Foreman".

Trying my best not to retch, I approached the Foreman. He did not respond, and his eyes stared straight forward as if I was not even there. I prodded him, which coated my finger in foul smelling ooze. I wiped my hand on my pants in disgust, but he finally began reacting to my presence. From his response, he was previously deep in thought, and his outburst seemed to be caused by his brain being on autopilot, rather than intelligent thought.

"Hello there, welcome to our camp. We are archaeologists! We do digging! I like fossils! We have a permit!"

"I'd like to help explore these ruins here."

There was a short pause as the foreman's eyes adjusted. A minute later, he shook his head. Strangely, his wispy hair seemed anchored to his head, a mystery I did not want solved.

"Sorry kid, we're trained adults. We are good at this sort of thing. We only just got permission to start poking around; it'll be a month before we'll be open to the public."

"You mean it's unexplored?"

"Yeah, and it could be dangerous. Sorry kid, you'll have to stay out."

"Fine..."

I left the tent, as not only was the conversation was going nowhere, but I was several moments from passing out from oxygen deprivation. The fresh air outside of the tent felt like heaven; I had never truly appreciated the fact that most air did not smell like death. Several deep gasps later, I was ready to think clearly again.

Even though I knew I should not, I was intent on at least examining the entryway of the ruins. The entryway was interesting, to say the least. Carvings of Pokemon lined the walls, mostly Unown, but several were of other types. As my focus turned further into the ruins, I noticed that beyond 20 feet, the floors were completely caked in thick dust. It was obvious no one had entered at all. A mischievous grin crept across my face as I examined the inside of the camp for any witnesses. Aside from the tents, the only person visible was a single man in a lab coat, who, for some reason, was standing in front of one of the walls of a tent. After watching him for several seconds and seeing no change in his position or posture, I quickly crept backwards, and entered the ruins.

These ruins were mostly monotonous: grey stone, with an occasional statue or plinth adorning sides of the hall. However, the halls were far from empty. Several times I stepped upon a raised tile, only to feel myself sink. Each time this happened, I would jump backwards, and hit the ground, partly due to paranoia, and partly because I had read so many books that I thought that was what explorers did. Twice, a rusted blade descended from the ceiling where I had stood moments earlier, and once, probably due to age causing mechanical failure, I was instead greeted with the hideous noise of metal grinding against stone. After the third plate, I was much more cautious about where I stepped.

Eventually I reached the deepest room, a circular chamber. To my disappointment, the ruins were quite linear: I had passed no forks, and no other paths, only a singular route to the deepest point. In the centre of the room was an intricately carved marble statue of a Garchomp, with perfect detailing; even the individual claws were easily discernible. Its eyes were embedded rubies, and its teeth were triangular quartz, all of which sparkled in the dim light. Shrugging my shoulders, I slowly pried the gems free with a penknife, taking extreme care to avoid damaging the gems. After I had extracted what I could from the statue, my gaze turned to the rest of the room.

Behind the statue, was the only flat wall in the entire room. Interestingly one of the sections of the wall was a different colour than the rest. Taking a chance at a wild guess, I pushed against it. The brick quickly gave, and moved backwards. I pushed the loose brick further and further back, until it fell free of the wall with a thud. Feeling around where it fell, it seemed that the brick had fallen into a specifically designed holder, meant to move aside the brick without obstructing the passage it hid.

Sticking my arm as far into the hole as I could, I grasped a smooth, cold sphere. I grabbed it and pulled my arm quickly from the hole. Not pausing to look at what it was, I began my retreat from the ruins. I was unsure if anything was going to happen, but it wasn't worth the risk waiting to find out.

Only when I saw the exit did I slow down.

It was late; the moon, now a waning crescent, shone its light upon the deserted embankment. Loud, wet snoring emanated from the Foreman's tent. Strangely, the man in the lab coat was still there, but had not moved an inch. I snuck as quietly as I could out of the camp. I didn't stop moving until the tents were no longer in sight: only then did I examine what I had taken from my little raid. Reaching into my pocket returned an extremely satisfying clicking noise, as I felt around in my pocket for the spoils. Soon, within my hand, I had a dozen quartzes, each the size of a fingernail, two grape-sized rubies, both star cut, and the curious sphere I removed from the hidden compartment in the wall.

I did not know what the sphere was at first. All I knew then was that it was much heavier than it looked, and must have been well hidden for a reason. It was only after I tried to scratch the dirt off of it with my knife did I make the connection. As I scratched the dirt, the knife also scratched the sphere.

"Wait a minute… This thing's solid gold!"

As the light of the moon reflected triumphantly off of my prize, I came to a decision. Rather than try and fail at my Pokemon journey, I would instead explore ruins, and spend my time doing what I enjoyed, rather than what I was expected to do. I was going to take my life into my own hands, and carve out my own path.

My two-day trip to Oreburgh was fraught with paranoia towards my newly-acquired goods, which had since been transferred to within my bag for easier storage. Although the city still reminded me of failure, I ignored the feeling as I made a mad dash for the library. There, I approached the history section, which was easily identifiable as the section with the dustiest shelves. One by one, I retrieved books about recent history, and wrote down any lead, crossing out any contradictions or proven hoaxes. Anything that could lead to another exciting site to explore. After my list of locations was assembled, I replaced the books, and set off single-mindedly towards my new goal.

Although it was almost absurd at the time, the nearby Pokemart was more than happy to fence my loot without any questions, and within moments, I had more money in my pockets than I had ever had before. As Oreburgh was a mining town, it was trivial to find a store that sold mining supplies, and I quickly found such a store, this one proudly adorned with the title "Urist's". I entered knowing exactly what to purchase: rope, stone chisels, hammers, small sacks, a climbing pick, and a medium sack of pitons. I also grabbed enough rations to last for a week without needing to check into a Pokemon Center to restock.

When I asked if they had anything to light up caves, the cashier stated that I probably didn't have clearance to purchase something they only referred to as a "TM". I stared at the cashier blankly for a moment, before asking what their policies on lanterns were. My blank look was returned for a moment, before I was handed a rather costly hooded lantern. Interestingly, the cashier took several seconds to find the lantern, as if they were rarely used. By the end of the purchase, I had exhausted almost all of my newfound wealth, and had gained almost a kilogram and a half of supplies.

I walked out of the store with nothing but a feeling of triumph. I still had more than enough extra money to buy more food if I ended up needing it, but for now, everything seemed to finally be going my way. As I left the town, smiling ear to ear, I reached into my pocket, retrieving the only gem I hadn't sold for money.

I stared at the gem for a moment, before returning it to my pocket. It was a reminder of what was possible, and what I hoped to gain. And now, I knew I could do it.

One by one, I began exploring the places on my list. From abandoned shack to supposed secret stash, all locations on my list were carefully explored, each almost untouched by previous looters or explorers. The entire time, the constant influx of loot from the ruins only urged me on further. It didn't take me long to purchase a bag that wasn't going to fall apart on me, and replace my shoddy shoes with a real pair of boots.

For the first time in my life, I was finally in control.


	3. Picking Up Speed

For the record, this story really doesn't have any established, canon characters. I found it hard to get the feel correct, anyway.

I do not own Pokemon, but if I did, I wouldn't do anything to Mystery Dungeon. Seriously, I don't think it needs any help.

* * *

I spent the next year snooping libraries for possible leads, along with occasionally asking about rumours. If a lead showed any promise, I would add it to my list no matter how unlikely. Not long afterwards, I would set off to examine the location. Regardless of whether the site was real or not, there was always wild Pokemon infesting the area around them. I didn't trust myself to battle them, and thus relied upon a mixture of fleeing, and repelling spray to avoid conflict. Eventually I was able to forgo the spray altogether, as I had grown used to listening to the sounds of possible aggressive Pokemon.

And the sites that I did explore, were breathtaking. From buried villages, to active volcanoes, to even ancient, ruined halls, many places known only in legends were experienced by me, first hand. Very few of these showed any sign of human activity in centuries, if not longer; and from these places, I began to see patterns. I began to find certain types of leads more valuable than others, due to continued payoff from similar situations. By the end of it, I had seen ton of different sites, from the fantastic, to the mundane. Every new site was a surprise, and I slowly became accustomed to learning on the fly: my lack of backup and assistance made any mistake I made potentially lethal.

This wasn't to say that I didn't run into a few scrapes along the way. Sometimes, even through the repel, wild Pokemon would attack, and while extremely dangerous, I managed to get away with a maximum of a bad cut, or more often, a couple scrapes or bruises. I wisely invested some money into a larger, sturdier bag, and a well stocked first-aid kit, along with manuals on how to use it. It wasn't hard to understand why, as my old bag had long since been destroyed by constant use.

I eventually ran out of leads: there were only so many written records of sites to chase. Although I still listened to word-of-mouth rumours, I eventually began digging through old, musty tomes, in hope of finding a true challenge. I found several, but they all were either proven to be hoaxes, or had clearly contradictory descriptions between records. I had nearly given up, but I had noticed something interesting.

Several books, all of ancient history, spoke of a lost city, carved deep underground. A few described riches beyond compare nestled away, others spoke of the ruins being infested with ghosts and filled to the brim with the dead. Yet more described it as a portal between this world, and underworld itself. Although I dismissed these wild claims as a false lead, one recurring detail proved for sure that this place truly existed. Every source, from ancient tome to family memoir depicted the ruins the same way, in the same location.

Every single source described the ruins as obsidian black, its entry carved in patterns and runes of a language long forgotten. Light held outside the entryway failed to penetrate the darkness within, and thrown stones echoed unnaturally back. None who saw the entrance ever dared to step foot inside. To even further isolate it, it seemed that the only access into the remnants was through a location known as "Turnback Cave".

Turnback Cave was yet another complication, as all reports of it stated that the inside was a spacial anomaly; left became right, and distance had no meaning. Explorers who braved going inside were not assured to come out in a reasonable time: the unlucky ones would sometimes return a week later than they entered. Records described the cave as "hostile"; not due to the wild pokemon or the dangers, but by the sheer, unmistakable feeling that the cave despised interlopers and wanted them gone. I dismissed that last point with a shrug. There was no way a cave could have feelings.

I knew straight away that I would have no chance of traversing the cave without finding a guide, and thus began searching for a person who had been within Turnback Cave.

My information search eventually lead me to the home of an elderly man located in Veilstone City, described as bald, save for his scraggly beard and missing one of his eyebrows. Those who I had asked for information had directed to me to him: apparently he was a trainer in his youth who stumbled across Turnback Cave, and eventually figured out how to find his way through it.

The road to Veilstone was long, but luckily, I had enough resources to make the trip. It took a couple of weeks, but eventually, I arrived.

Hoping my contact would be cooperative, I slowly walked up to his door, and knocked. Almost immediately, the door was flung open, revealing the man, his missing eyebrow clearly visible, smiling broadly. Crossing his face, from cheek to chin, was a thick scar, smoothed by age. This was definitely the man I was searching for. He looked me up and down, before speaking in a amiable voice.

"Oh! Another Trainer off on a journey! I remember being a Trainer, way back when Aerodactl flew the skies and everyone was afraid of Psychic Pokemon! What brings you to my house, brave traveller?"

"Oh… Hi. I'm looking for information about a place known as Turnback Cave. I asked around, and everyone said that you were the person to ask about it."

The old man's face hardened immediately. He looked me over one more time, this time paying more attention to what I was carrying. He only spoke again after checking my arsenal of spelunking tools, and even then, this time much quieter than before.

"I know about that place. It's a horrible, confusing place. Are you sure that is where you want to go?"

"I have made up my mind. I've spent two months alone getting here: there's no backing out now."

The elderly man shook his head, and ushered me inside. His home was sparsely decorated, with the only furnishings of note being three antique wooden cabinets, a wooden table, a small fridge, and an old television set. I saw stairs as well, but I didn't need to go up there. I sat at the table as he reached into a cabinet, removing a map from within. He returned to the table, and sat across from me. He placed the map flat on the table, and pointed towards an area circled on the map.

"You see this circle here? Turnback Cave should be right around here."

"Do you have any way of navigating the cave?"

"The walls have extremely small Unown Glyphs carved into them, that can help travellers find their way. As long as you pay attention to what they read, and avoid anything that sounds dangerous, you'll be safe. From what I can tell, there are a lot more exits than there seems to be, so it should be easy to get out if you need to."

He handed me the map and escorted me to the door. I thanked him as I stepped outside.

"Thank you so much Mister…"

"Please, call me Dyllan."

"Thank you Dyllan, You have no clue how much this helps me."

He nodded, but narrowed his eyes for a moment.

"By the way, what exactly are you looking for in Turnback Cave? It's very rarely talked about, let alone seriously considered. Is there something inside you're looking for? I've heard that missing possessions often turn up within, and I can say for a fact that they do. One room I came across was full of nothing but mismatched socks, and keys."

"I'm searching for a particular set of ruins. Have you seen it? It apparently only appears inside this cave, and is supposed to be pitch-black, and never explored."

His reaction was frantic.

"WHAT? Are you insane? I've seen the entrance to there. It looks like something you'd see out of a fever nightmare! You can't be serious."

"So it does exist then? Where exactly is the entrance located within this cave?"

Dyllan looked at his feet, shaking his head slowly as he replied.

"I'm so sorry… but I can't, in good peace of mind, give you any more advice on how to kill yourself. I can live with what I have already told you: there was no way to know that this was your plan: I took you for a treasure hunter. I know you will not change your mind, but please. Please think carefully before you do this. There is no shame in running from a danger you cannot overcome."

"Don't worry, I will."

According to the map, the entrance to the cave was only an hour away. I would need to take a thin path snaking between mountains, at the end of which, the entrance to the cave would be in plain sight. However, his warning had kicked my paranoia into high gear. I knew that while the payoff could be big, the risk would be even greater.

I left Veilstone in silence, promising myself to be even more vigilant than before.


	4. How It Began

I don't own Pokemon.

* * *

An unnatural quiet heralded my arrival to the location marked on the map. Even the constant sounds of wild Pokemon, a usually ever-present cacophony, were silent. I listened for several moments: I could barely hear anything at all, besides the faint sloshing of water, and the whispering of leaves in the wind. The path had lead me in front of a lake, of size comparable to the three other great lakes in the region. This lake's surface glimmered in the sunlight, refracting the rays in a way which, disconcertingly, seemed to give the lake an unnatural glow. Even the surface of the lake itself seemed not of this world, for its waves were drawn from the banks towards the deepest part of the lake, forming a white circle of cresting waves in the dead center. Somewhere nearby, there was a passage into Turnback Cave.

I was not used to the silence. Whereas before, when I was exploring, I could hear aggressive Pokemon before I saw them: I had a means to get out of danger before it happened. Now, I would need to rely upon a backup plan. Fumbling around for several moments within my pack, I eventually grasped the only Pokeball in my possession. It was caked in dust from lack of use. I had never needed it before, and thus it had remained ignored. However, this time, any advantage I could receive would make a major difference in my safety. I carefully wiped the dust from the surface of the ball, and summoned Nil from within.

As her shape formed, I stowed the ball in my pocket. She blinked from the sudden change of light, and glanced at me in a mixture of surprise and expectation. She looked around for several moments, but then turned back towards me. It was time to begin the exploration.

The feeling of being watched was almost palpable as I circled the lake during my search. Even worse, I had begun to see the gathered waves as an eye, watching me disdainfully as I scampered about. The entire place seemed unnatural, not evil, but simply alien. However, I did not want to believe in such superstition, and thus did my best to ignore it. It didn't help.

As I reached the far side of the lake, I spotted a worn, ancient gravel path leading to a hole in the stone. I stopped beside the hole, and did a final check of my possessions. Finally, I removed a caged lantern from my pack, lit it, and looked around once more. Drawing a deep breath, I stepped through the threshold.

Almost immediately, I found myself in a large, stone room, air heavy and stinking of soot. Even worse, I had a feeling that the inside of the cave was much larger than the outside. As Dyllan had described, the walls were inscribed in runes. The runes upon the wall to my right revealed the destination being the depths of the cave; which while probably interesting, were not what I was searching for.

The wall that I had entered from simply read "Exit". It was the third wall that caught my attention. Unlike the other walls, this one did not translate into any recognisable language. Attempting to translate it read "Syalrad Ves Enaros", a phrase of meaning I did not know. After staring at it for several moments, trying to understand it, I concluded that it most likely lead to the ruins.

Room after room I followed the carved instructions, with each identical room causing me to feel more and more lost. Even stranger, the cave completely lacked Pokemon, instead being inhabited by perfectly preserved corpses. Examining one revealed it to have died of hunger. I shuddered as I considered being lost in here forever.

By the eighth room, I lost all hope of this cave existing within regular space, for it seemed that whenever I entered a new room, I arrived from a different direction. Simply being within the cave instilled an acute sense of vertigo, which made progress difficult, but not impossible. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I arrived at a room that was different. While the wall directly across from me was still the same, carved with the word "Depths", it was when I turned to my left that I realized I had arrived at my destination.

Seemingly chiselled directly into the stone, was a gigantic gothic arch, bordered by two pillars, each rising to the roof of the cave. Dancing across the oily black surface, were interlaced patterns of lines and sigils, which continued into the murky maw ahead. Gritting my teeth, I walked into the entryway. Nil was hesitant to follow me, but the moment I entered, she quickly chased after me.

Once again, I felt as if I had stepped into a completely different dimension. The walls of the ruins were completely pristine. My examination revealed no chipping, no flaking stone, not even any scratches of any sort, just fresh, almost warm basalt. Even scraping the wall with a chisel failed to leave any mark at all. No longer trusting the ruins themselves to not be a trap, I was always on the alert to duck for cover at the slightest movement.

As I carefully descended the stairs, multiple paths branched to my left and right. Not one to turn down a challenge, I turned off at the nearest branch. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever lay at the deepest part of the ruins was of great importance.

The side path was a maze, obviously inflicted with the same effect the walls of Turnback Cave so easily presented. However, unlike the main corridor, the side passages were not as perfect. Swarms of Zubat hid above, nestled within recesses in the roof. Similarly, glowing mushrooms illuminated the walls, casting a wavering blue glow over the cracked tiled floor.

It wasn't that this portion of the ruins was different, for the walls were made of the same material as the main passage. However, it seemed as if this portion of the ruins had aged. While still in amazing shape, it was in much worse condition than what I had already seen. Poking around led me to five different paths, all of which glowed ominously. I chose one at random, and found myself back on the stairs. I shrugged my shoulders. It was time to examine what lay below.

I returned back to the main corridor, and descended once more. The air, previously warm, took on a chill; it smelled faintly of burning incense, yet another impossibility within these unnatural ruins. Taking another deep breath, I snuck forwards, paying close attention to the roof and walls, in case of a trap. I got halfway down the hall before I felt something nip at my foot. In a blind panic, I jumped back, fearing for my life.

To my luck, it was not a trap. Nil had nipped at my pants to grab my attention, and had begun pawing at a strange circular carving on the floor. I drew my lantern closer, and bent down to check.

The carving appeared to be closely nested circles, with runes circling around the outermost ring. More importantly, the carving appeared to be raised almost imperceptibly. Leaning as close as I could to the plate without putting weight on it, I began to read the inscription aloud.

"Na'ramos Ivila Malavis".

I stared at the gibberish, unsure of how best to proceed. Not wanting to risk setting it off by accident, I retreated backward slightly, where I began to consider my options. I had finally decided upon jumping over the plate, when suddenly the only thing I could feel was pain.

Fire consumed my mind as I lay on the ground, writhing in agony. Every muscle in my body spasmed, throwing my limbs about like a ragdoll. My other senses, pushed aside by necessity, vaguely reported the scent of blood, the taste of iron, and the sound of my own voice screaming. Several times the thought that I had died and went to hell passed through my mind, but these were eventually replaced with hopes that I'd die and go to hell to escape. Some point during the ordeal my voice gave out, and I began choking on my own blood. Even worse, the sound was replaced by maniacal laughter, of a source I did not see.

Eventually, the pain waned, after what felt like an eternity. I wanted to get as far away from the plate as I could. Thus, I began to lift myself from the ground, entire body still twitching. Three times I tried, but the first two simply resulted in me falling back down, muscles unwilling to support my own weight. On the third try, I was finally able to examine my surroundings. Beside me, Nil stood, staring at me in pain. As I examined the room, I saw a strange shape for but a moment, before it ascended up through the roof. Finally, I faced the plate, in hopes of figuring out what exactly had happened. What I saw, was not what I was expecting.

A pale glow had filled the room, emanating from two glowing orbs floating over the plate. Small wisps of light rose upwards from each orb, dissipating after leaving the main mass. I was not sure what they were, but they seemed important. Pushing heed aside in favour of curiosity, I approached the plate again. Half of the runes were glowing, although I refused to read the glowing ones, for fear of re-triggering the trap.

Strangely, the runes began to go out, one by one. Assuming that it was timer of some sort, I glanced at the orbs once more. They were definitely less bright than before, and judging by the rate at which they were dissipating, it would be mere moments before they faded away altogether. Not willing to risk losing them, no matter what they were, I lunged at the closest one. In the corner of my eye, I could see Nil pouncing for the other one.

As my hand contacted the glowing orb, the orb appeared to be absorbed into my hand. I wasn't willing to delay long enough to figure out its purpose: as soon as my strength returned, I was off like a shot. I didn't want to be in the range of the trap should it activate again, so I fled back to the staircase. I slipped on a puddle of what I assumed was my own blood, but quickly regained my footing to continue my retreat. I spied the snuffed lantern lying on the ground and scooped it up as I continued my sprint.

I would later be glad that I had chosen to run.

I wasn't even a foot up the stairs before segments of the roof began to descend, blocking the deepest portion of the ruins at what used to be an intersection between the main stairs and a turnoff point. Unwilling to be put at the mercy of the side paths, I sprinted harder for safety. Dozens of gates closed behind me, each only moments behind me.

The branching pathways didn't matter. The secrets at the bottom didn't matter. The murderous trap that nearly killed me did not matter. The only thing that mattered was getting as far away from the ruins as I could. The echoing stone taunted me, made a mockery of my fear, as the sounds of panic and heavy breathing filled the air. Eventually the entrance came into view: I threw myself through it, hitting the stone ground hard, fully expecting the entrance to collapse.

To my surprise, the entryway itself did not collapse. In fact, there was still an open path to the first branch: I could only assume it was a safety feature of some sort.

Still nauseous from the trap, I stumbled towards walls until I found the one which lead to the exit, and went the path of egress.

Three steps into the breach passed before I felt myself pulled in every direction. My eyes registered intense darkness, followed by scalding light. When my vision finally became clear again, I stood outside the cave. I stumbled forwards and collapsed, sense of direction temporarily shot. Head spinning and heart pounding like a hammer on an anvil, I lay face-down in the dirt, breathing deeply. Several minutes later, I had calmed myself down enough to peel my body off of the ground.

The waves still crested and crashed in the center of the lake; but the wind had picked up since I had entered. To my further anger, the wind ALSO served to unnerve me, as the sound of the wind through the branches emitted a whispering noise. I turned around behind me, and was greeted by an Umbreon. I paused for several moments, before realizing who it was.

"Nil?"

* _Yes?_ *

I flinched. When I had called her name, I had only hoped to receive some kind of response. I had no idea that she would actually RESPOND.

"You can talk?"

* _Yes._ *

My mind flickered back to the trap.

"Did that trap hit you as well?"

Nil paused for several moments, before responding. During this time, her muscles seemed to tense, but she didn't move.

* _Yes._ *

"This is getting too weird. Let's go back to town."

* _Yes._ *

I retrieved my Pokeball from my pocket, and began to recall Nil. As Nil's form dissipated and was sucked within, I came to regret my decision. The pain from the trap returned a thousandfold. I collapsed to the ground, clutching my head. Fortunately, this pain lasted far shorter than the trap, despite its severity. It faded not a minute after it had begun. However, I felt a different pain in my head shortly after, as fragments of something flew into my face.

No longer trusting the world around me, I carefully raised myself back up from the ground. Around me, lay scraps of red and white metal, obviously remnants of the Pokeball. It seemed to have exploded quite violently. Several large shards were embedded in my left hand, which I quickly plucked out with my right. I spied Nil, sitting in the middle of the shards, in severe pain. Unsure of what to do, I reached into my bag to retrieve my first-aid kit, and began to approach her.

For the first stroke of luck today, Nil woke up as I stepped nearer with bandages in hand. Slowly, she raised herself up, shook off the dusting of shards covering her, and then looked at me in shock.

* _That hurt! Why did you do that?_ *

"I just tried to recall you…"

* _Wait. I actually said that?_ *

"Uhh… excuse me?"

Nil failed to respond. My further questioning and prodding failed to yield any further results, either. I didn't have any practice at using the kit, but I thought I did an adequate job at removing the embedded shards, and staunching the bleeding. The entire time, I could have sworn she was glaring at me a look of annoyance.

Dismissing what had happened as a hallucination caused by fear and stress, I began to gather up the pieces of the Pokeball. Even if I couldn't use it any more, I assumed that someone, somewhere would be interested in the fragments.

Five minutes later, I had gathered every piece I could find; notably, one third of the upper segment still remained, along with the mostly-intact emitter. Moving them into a small bag, I stowed them along with the rest of my gear. I would solve that problem out later. Right now, my goal was Veilstone: both to go rest, and to assure Dyllan that I had survived. It just didn't feel right with him believing that he had indirectly killed me.


	5. Starting Over

Three centered dashes denotes a break between the past and the present.

* _Text*_ \- Telepathy.

I do not own Pokemon.

 _ **A.N:**_ It just occurred to me that I posted my raw version, and not my updated version. New version is pretty similar to old version, except less formatting errors.

* * *

My thoughts are interrupted by a message from Nil. Several moments of regaining my composure later, I ask her to repeat what she had said.

* _You've been quiet for quite a while._ *

* _Oh yeah, sorry about that._ *

* _I'm not used to you being so quiet, what are you thinking about?_ *

* _Our past._ *

* _..._ *

* _We've been through a lot, huh?_ *

* _I still don't know how you can remember it all._ *

* _It's been my lifeline for centuries now, you know that more than anyone. I have nothing else to recite, nothing else to hold onto._ *

* _... If it's not too much of a struggle, can I listen in from now on? I.. I'd like to hear our story one last time._ *

* _Easily._ *

* _Where were you when you left off?_ *

The full moon shone overhead as we trudged back towards Veilstone City. While the path before would have normally been extremely difficult to traverse during the night, that night seemed especially bright, and thus we found no difficulty. Even so, I lacked the energy to run. I was still reeling from the trap, not to mention the explosion. I nervously ran my hands over my exposed skin, cautiously checking for embedded shards that I might have missed the first time. To my disgust, I removed a half-dozen, each about the length of a pea. Eventually, I arrived at the city, and was greeted by the silent houses and empty streets. The only building open was the PokeCenter. Seeing no other choice, and desperately needing to sleep, I went to go rent a bunk.

As was the case with every other PokeCenter I had seen, this building was impeccably kept. A sign hung above the door, proudly advertising the Center's policy of always being open. Before I stepped inside, I ran my hand over my face one last time, to make sure I had not missed anything. To my satisfaction, my hand came back clean.

The inside of the building was brightly lit, and staffed by nurses in identical uniforms. The air reeked of strong cleaning supplies, and even stronger perfumes that were being used to cover them up. Determined to get a bed before I collapsed, I slowly lumbered towards the front desk. I quietly spoke to the receptionist, a middle aged woman carrying a clipboard.

"One bed please."

She glanced towards a list on the wall beside her. Her reply was completely without enthusiasm. I didn't blame her, no one would ever want to be working this late.

"How old are you?"

I thought for a moment, before replying. It seemed almost impossible, but only a year had past since I had left home.

"Thirteen, I think."

"Okay. Either way you're still in group C, We have some space left in your age group's room. That'll be 10 dollars."

She gestured towards Nil.

"Do you want us to hold onto your Pokemon for you?"

I started to speak, but decided against it, after I remembered my mishap with the Pokeball.

"No thank you. I'm sure she'll behave."

"Okay then. Your bed is in room C, Section 3, Row 1. Bottom bunk. You have 12 hours."

I watched the receptionist write down my details. Male. Age group C. Trainer.

She also wrote down my name. My real, birth name. Yet, I can't remember what it was.

I dropped my gear off at my bunk, and headed to the change rooms. I had already showered and dried myself before I noticed something strange in the mirror ahead of me. In the mirror, a pale, black-haired boy stared back, wary hazel eyes full of pain, exhaustion, and confusion. A long, jagged black scar ran from his right shoulder to left hip, wide, but not deep. I traced the scar with my finger, curious about how I had failed to notice it. I rubbed water on it, but accomplished nothing, not even cause myself pain. In fact, nothing I did to it caused pain, nor any sense of feeling whatsoever: it was if all nerves in the affected area were dead. To be honest, the scar resembled a tattoo, rather than the horrific burn I had assumed to have caused the pain in the ruins. Eventually, I gave up on trying to understand it, and finished donning my bedclothes.

To my surprise, Nil was already asleep below the bed I was assigned. I pushed my worries aside, and climbed into the bed. Within moments, I was asleep.

My dreams that night were strange: I was floating in a void, no ground in sight. Around me, thousands of stars shone, just barely illuminating the area. A small cord, two inches thick and a wispy silver, but pulsating with darkness, floated in the darkness, starting a mere foot to my left, before ending mid-air.

The sleep hall was deserted when I awoke. I gathered up my belongings, and took a quick check of the scar as I walked towards the changing room. To my relief, it had shrunk, but the affected area was still numb. I searched for Nil to wake her up: it was time to head out. I found her sleeping on one of the beds: she gave me a bleary-eyed glare when I shook her awake. As we checked out at the receptionist's desk, I was asked to clarify that my age was copied down correctly. I confirmed, and received a concerned look in return. Thinking nothing of it, I left the Center in a sprint.

The sun hung low in the sky, signifying late afternoon. I walked towards Dyllan's house, mentally attempting to make sense of what had happened the night before. For all I knew, I had triggered some sort of trap, of which I had barely survived. I may or may not have suffered intense mental trauma, as I heard my Pokemon talking to me, even though she failed to speak since.

Even worse, I was afraid. I was afraid of death, afraid of pain, and now, afraid of mistakes.

I had never considered the possibilities of dying during my explorations before; but that trap had changed my opinion. Either way, I had no plan on ever going back to those ruins, in any way, shape or form. In retrospect, it is funny how things turn out.

I arrived at Dyllan's house, and knocked. Moments later, the door opened, revealing Dyllan, wringing his hands, and single eyebrow furrowed in worry. However, when he saw me, his face softened.

"Thank goodness you're all right! So I take it you couldn't find the ruins entrance?" he asked.

"No, I certainly found it," I confirmed, spending time to carefully choose each word.

He looked me over, as if not believing what I had said.

"How far did you go into the ruins?"

"I'm not sure. I had reached the bottom of the entryway stairs when I ran into... difficulties."

I shuddered upon saying the word "difficulties". The searing pain I had experienced was still fresh in my memory.

"There's no shame in running you know? If your life is at stake, there's no reason to continue."

He paused for a moment, as if thinking of the best way to state something.

"I assume if you were searching for the City, you had no other plans. If so, what do you do now?"

I was not ready for that question. I had spent a year without looking back, without examining other possibilities. I looked down at Nil, and then back up at Dyllan.

"I'm… Not sure."

"Why not give the Pokemon League another go? Judging by how young you look, you can't have gotten far."

"I never even got my first badge."

"Really? Just how young are you?"

I told him my age. Immediately, his face warped from relief to pained remembrance.

"Thirteen, huh? How old was I, when they threw me out?"

There was a hint of pain in his face, as he paused.

"I'm headed to Eterna City to visit my sick granddaughter right now. If you want, you can hitch a ride."

Seeing no reason not to, I hastily agreed. Within a couple of minutes, I was aboard a Fearow, flying over Sinnoh towards our destination.

A few minutes later, we had arrived at Eterna city. Solid stone mountains ringed the city, forming what appeared to be an impenetrable barrier. Dyllan directed me to the west gate.

"The fastest way to where you need to go is straight through Eterna Forest. From there, you should be able to get to Oreburgh pretty easily."

"Thank you for your help, Dyllan. You've been a lifesaver." I still neglected to mention that my life had, at one point, been in serious danger.

As I left the town, Dyllan called out a final piece of advice from behind me.

"Make some friends! They'll make a huge difference in what you'll face..."

The path to Eterna Forest was for all purposes and intents, completely overgrown. Scraggly weeds interlaced the fragmented concrete path, its rough patches worn smooth by the footfalls of countless travellers. Bordering the path was dense overgrowth, in which the constant shuffling of bushes betrayed the presence of wild Pokemon. Although I encountered several trainers on my way, all of them were novices, much easier that the ones I had previously faced. Eventually, I stood in front of the forest entrance, beside which was a large sign, hastily nailed to a large tree.

The sign read, in faded black letters "Eterna Forest, the mysterious haunted forest".


	6. Bravery

The entry into the forest was heavily shrouded by the dense foliage: the twisting bends and turns made vision almost impossible. I muttered to myself, as I instinctively checked my pack.

"I suppose this is the way I need to go, right?"

*Don't ask me, you were the one reading the map.*

I glanced at Nil, who had begun to give me a mocking stare. I had nearly forgotten that she could talk now.

"Why weren't you answering me earlier?"

*I didn't think it was important.*

"And this is?"

*No, but it IS funny.*

"Are you going to act like this from now on?"

*I don't see a reason why not!*

I shrugged my shoulders in resignation and stepped into the forest.

The forest was not as dark as I expected; despite the lack of direct sunlight, I could see quite clearly. The bends in the path I had seen from outside, while still there, weren't as sharp as I had assumed. It still made travel extremely difficult, and the lack of a path or signs prevented knowing which way was directly through the forest. Many of the paths we took lead to dead ends, or to trainers.

Either way, we spent a large amount of time fighting, whether we liked it or not. Nil and I both agreed that this task, while boring, painful, and slow was entirely necessary. Neither of us enjoyed being made fun of for being weak. By the third dead end we had encountered, I decided to instead just follow the left wall. Several minutes, and another dozen dead ends later, we finally stepped out into an area that was different than the rest of the forest.

We stood in the center of a clearing, with the sun directly visible overhead. To the east, west, and south of the clearing lay identical paths: almost indistinguishable. Had I not marked the trees I had passed earlier, it would have been entirely possible for me to have accidentally turned back around. The real interest, however, lay to the north. Nestled in the undergrowth sat a mansion. The mansion was built out of dark, solid wood, most of which the rain and the sun had bleached beige. Its windows had long since caved in, leaving no indication whether they were smashed in, or had fallen apart naturally. A young boy sat on the cobblestone path to the mansion, likely just starting on his journey. Beside the boy sat a Shinx; this one was laying down, either asleep, or trying its best to do so.

Curious on what exactly this structure was, I approached the trainer, ready for a battle if necessary. What I got instead, was a discussion.

"Oh hey there! This is pretty cool, huh?"

I was taken aback by how upbeat this trainer was. My journey had been doom and gloom, perhaps I was just unlucky? I considered this for a moment, before just deciding upon asking about what the structure was.

"Do you know what this place is called?"

"The sign over there says "Chateau", but I'm not sure what that means. It sounds like a different language."

I followed the boy's pointing finger to a crumbling sign attached to a fallen mailbox. It indeed said Chateau, but the sign was in such disrepair that any other text on the sign was unreadable.

"What brings you here?" I asked the boy, as I carefully opened the mailbox, hoping to find something. I retrieved a small stack of coins, which I hastily pocketed. The boy continued speaking, oblivious to what I was doing.

"I was hoping to check it out, but I thought that I'd get lost if I went in alone. By the way, we never introduced each other! My name's Jack, and this is Sparky!"

The Shinx raised its head momentarily upon hearing its name, before setting itself back down again.

"What's your name? How old are you? How many badges do you have? I have one, but I'm hoping to get another before the end of the week! Where are you from?" he pestered.

I wasn't ready to admit what my name was, as I had given up on my journey, and had hoped to start anew. Even worse, I wasn't willing to admit I was further behind than this kid, even though I started much earlier than him. I pulled a random name out of the air, and went with two badges as my alibi. I personally doubted that he knew where my hometown was, and felt fine just describing it in broad terms.

"My name's Vis. I'm thirteen. I've got two badges. I'm from south of Sinnoh, from a little town on the border.

"Wait, thirteen?"

Jack gave me a confused look for a moment.

"Mum said I couldn't leave until I was fourteen! I begged and pleaded, but they said, "No, you're not ready yet! No, it's not safe!". How on earth did you convince your parents to let you go early?"

I scratched the back of my neck. This kid was older than me, but acted much, much younger. Perhaps it was what I had done, or what I had experienced that made me seem older.

"Actually, I didn't have a choice. They said I was the right age, and gave me my Pokemon. That happened a year ago."

"WHAT? You were twelve? My folks are such jerks! I wanted to start since I was nine!"

I felt like explaining to him why not having enough preparation was a bad thing, but I didn't feel like crushing his spirit.

"I never told you the name of my Pokemon. This here... Wait, you can tell him yourself, right?"

*According to this human here, my name is Nil, other human.*

Jack looked at me in confusion. He glanced at me, then at Nil. Finally, he scratched his head and replied.

"Umm… I didn't... quite catch that. Could you repeat that again?"

*My. name. Is. Nil.*

"Did you hear it that time?"

The boy rolled his eyes at me. I could hear him calling me crazy under his breath.

"How about you say it this time. It's pretty hard to understand your Umbreon, what with the ACCENT, and I don't like the way it's snarling at me."

"Her name is Nil."

Jack backpedaled as best as he could, hoping to redirect the sudden surge of hostility.

"Okay, since you two are here, do you mind helping me check out this house? I want help in case I fall down or something and I need someone to pull me out. Also, Sparky won't stop growling when we get near the door for some reason."

"Sure, why not. I'm pretty good at this sort of thing."

*Heh…*

I glared at Nil, before joining Jack in approaching the front door.

The temperature around the house plummeted as we approached the front door. The same unnatural feeling that surrounded the lake before was also present here: the feeling of being watched was undeniable. Sparky followed closely behind Jack, obviously unwilling to follow him, but doing so nonetheless. I glanced down to Nil; her hackles were raised, but she seemed much less afraid than Sparky. Jack made an offhand comment about Nil's appearance.

"I didn't know Umbreons could look like that. I thought Jolteons were the only Eevees that had spiky hair."

I pushed aside the everpresent feeling of dread to respond.

"Maybe she's just scared."

*Am not...*

"I don't think I've ever heard of a trainer Pokemon that looked different when afraid. Maybe yours is just special."

"Haha, that's entirely possible. It's really cold here; much colder than I'd think it'd be inside the forest."

*I'm pretty sure there's something behind that door.*

Following Nil's advice, I glanced back towards the door. Through the empty windows, I could see shifting movement, however moments later, it was replaced with a dense mist. Jack had begun quivering, although whether it was caused by the cold or by the feeling of dread, I could not tell. He obviously was trying his best to hide his fear, and judging by how he was watching me, assumed I couldn't see him out of the corner of my eye. We reached the door, with me slightly ahead, and I turned around, causing Jack to jump. I did my best to pretend that I couldn't tell that he was afraid.

"Well, let's get this over with. Can you count down to open the door?"

Jack gulped, and took up a position on the other side of the doorway. He began counting down, voice wavering.

'One…. Two…."

Jack's shivering increased in frequency as he got ready.

"THREE!"

We quickly threw the door open, and stepped through the doorway. The entryway was deserted, save for mangled and rotting tapestries hanging from the walls. A ruined staircase snaked upwards, leading to a large room, guarded by solid-looking doors. Moving shapes danced in the corner of my vision, but disappeared when I turned to face them. The bottom floor was flooded with dense fog that came up to my chest; I couldn't help but feel as if the fog was trying to devour me.

*This place is a wreck. And I can almost bet that it's haunted.*

Nil's comment mirrored my concerns. Meanwhile, Jack's entire body was shaking, but when he had returned to trying his best to hide his fear.

"I… I… I think we should check out that big room…"

Nodding my head, I removed a rubber mallet from my backpack, and approached the staircase. With utmost care, I firmly struck one of the lower steps, which returned a loud thunk. I had repeated this five more times, with different steps, Jack's question interrupted me.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm testing to make sure this staircase can hold a person's weight. I don't trust it not to collapse."

"Oh. that makes sense. I'll just stand down here while you do that, then."

My paranoia paid off, as several previously solid-looking steps shattered into foul-smelling wood dust when struck. Eventually, I cleared a safe path up the staircase, which Jack used to follow me up. As I reached for his hand to help him up over a gap, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Unlike the other phantasms, this one did not dissipate when I turned to face it. It had the shape of a woman, clothed in a bonnet and a dress, and was facing away from us. It quickly glided around a corner, out of sight.

"Did you just see that?" I asked Jack.

"See what?"

"That woman. She went around that corner."

"Are you sure? You seem… a bit paranoid… and a little bit insane..." Jack lowered his voice for the last part, but I heard him regardless.

"I'm going, you can either come or not. It's your choice. But if you don't come, I'm leaving you here until I come back."

With that statement, all traces of Jack pretending to be brave disappeared in an instant.

"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE… it's scary…"

"After we check out this area I want to see, I promise to help you look in the big room."

"Okay…"

Together, we turned the corner, revealing a long hallway that led towards yet another door. This hallway was in much better shape than the rest of the house; not only was the decorative stained glass bordering the door intact, but the walls were decorated with various paintings as well. Jack checked to ensure we weren't being followed as we proceeded forwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the eyes of the paintings following us, and, unlike what I expected, they continued following me, even as I watched them. I neglected to mention this to Jack, as I doubted it would do anything besides unnerve him further. Teeth chattering, he choked out a question.

"This hallway is beyond creepy... I really think that something's watching us..."

He paused, before looking at me suspiciously.

"Hey... Why aren't YOU afraid?"

Of course, I could have told him the whole story, about how I was an experienced explorer, and how I had been through much worse. However, I doubted he would be as willing to trust me if I revealed that the results of my last exploration ended up with me walking into a trap. Instead, I deflected his question.

"I've been through worse."

*Like having traps blow up in your face.*

"Shut up..." I muttered, "It was one time..." As I whispered to Nil, Jack began wringing his hands.

We reached the end of the hallway, and once again took up position on each side of the door. With a silent nod, we flung the door open and stepped through, fully expecting it to be empty. We were wrong. Oh, so very wrong.

Sparky's eyes unfocused, but he did not move. Nil bared her fangs, but took up a stance that would allow her to flee quickly. Jack stared confused at the room, obviously not aware of the Pandora's Box we had torn open. And me?

I saw ghosts. I had encountered Ghost Pokemon before, yes, but those were naturally occurring: they reproduced through eggs, just as any other kind of Pokemon would. They were simply infused with a different element. The spectres in front of me? These were real ghosts. Between the ethereal forms of the dead Pokemon, sat several in the shape of humans. Unlike the woman, their features were visible; they were pristine in form, besides bearing faces of pain, and despair. The crowd of ghosts parted as the spectre of the woman stepped forward, bonnet still concealing her face. Then, as one, the ghosts issued a booming ultimatum.

YOU HAVE TRESPASSED ON OUR DOMAIN. LEAVE OR ELSE WE WILL BE FORCED TO REMOVE YOU OURSELVES.

Jack had obviously heard them, as the squeak he emitted drew my attention to his face, now pale with terror. Sparky still showed no emotion, but had begun vibrating violently, as if all of his muscles had begun attempting to wrest control at once. Nil glanced towards me, biting remark at the ready, before immediately turning back towards the threat.

*You don't ever learn, do you.*

I stood dumbly for several moments as I took in the scene. Obviously, I didn't react fast enough for the ghosts' tastes. In an instant, dozens of angry spirits charged us like a hive of angry hornets, their shrieks and wails forming a deafening cacophony. At this point, I abandoned all hope of fighting our way out, grabbed Jack (who was not light, but was at least manageable), and sprinted for the entrance. As soon as we began running, Sparky was behind us, running as fast as he could, but still dead-eyed and shaking. I was too panicked to check which stairs were safe, but to my (admittedly dubious) luck, all of the ones I stood on held my weight. The door was open when we reached the landing, a fact we took full advantage of as we charged at full speed away from the mansion.

Just as we exited the house, Jack ceased being unconscious. I could tell, because it was at that moment that he began screaming bloody murder. I quickly summed up the past minute, in the most eloquent way I could.

"LOTS OF GHOSTS. START RUNNING YOU'RE HEAVY."

Jack squirmed more for a bit, before I ended up dropping him. He paused for a moment, in shock, and then bounded after me as fast as he could. As we ran, I saw him glance back towards the roiling wall of angry spirits. Although it was obvious he couldn't SEE them, it was apparent that he could FEEL them, and knew that if he fell behind something terrible would happen. After what seemed like an eternity, we an exit to the forest, and not willing to spend another moment being chased, we lunged through.

After several moments of catching our breath, and fearfully checking to see if the ghosts had followed us out, we finally had enough breath to speak again.

"I'm… I'm…. I'm… I'm gonna go find a different way. Thanks for the rescue, but let's not... let's NEVER go back there again."

He got up, called Sparky, and stumbled off into the distance. I couldn't help but notice Sparky was still shaking, and Jack was walking bow-legged.

In the distance, I could hear him calling me a lunatic.

Like clockwork, Nil's comment arrived just on cue.

*Two for two! You're really good at this.*

"Shut up."

A nearby sign confirmed that we had somehow made it to the side of the forest we wanted to be on. In fact, Oreburgh city was only a brisk fifteen minute walk away.


	7. Dissonance

**It's a bit difficult to get back into the franchise, after my DSi broke down, cutting me off from my Explorers of the Sky, Diamond, and Shadows of Almia games. I've got plenty of buffer, but I might run into issues further down the road.**

 **For the record, I don't know any of the canon characters well enough to feel like I'm doing them justice. Thus, almost all of the characters in this story are OCs. As an estimate for the time frame of the story: this story takes place at least 60 years after the events of Diamond/Pearl/Platinum.**

* * *

I take a deep breath. Ever since... Ever since I left the surface, I had been consumed by my own despair, by my own feelings of uselessness. Although my travels back then were often far from enjoyable, they at least passed the time, and kept me sane. Now? Right now, the only thing keeping me sane is resolution: my willingness to finish what I've started. It is nearly time for us to finish repaying the debt we had accrued, three hundred years ago. We are finally able to complete our task, our impossible task.

And now, it is time to prove that despite it all, we succeeded. There's just one final step, one which we would need others to assist in. Our final act of redemption.

* _Do you mind checking on our guests? I want to know how deep into the ruins they are now._ * I whisper to Nil.

The layout of the ruins was erratic at best; often times multiple paths led to a single dead end, which, upon leaving, would return you to a different area than you came from. The effect had only gotten stronger since we first accidentally dropped the gates. The Pokemon on the surface had a name for such an effect. We... I lived inside a Mystery Dungeon.

* _I'm sure they're fine._ *

* _It's still a good idea. Need to make sure they haven't given up_ * I chuckle. I know they would not, and that any estimate that we make will be grossly inaccurate, but it gives a rough idea of how fast our guests are trying to descend.

Nil vanishes from view as I open a gate to one of the hidden passageways under the main stairs. I had found them by accident, long ago, and their purpose was obvious. Their purpose was to allow sentries to survey intruders for potential threats.

* _From the looks of it, they've stopped to rest about an tenth of the way down. I can smell food._ * Nil reports

Of course, I could just simply let them inside. We could open the gates, and let them descend down the main stairway. However, that would defeat the true purpose of all this. All of this, is simply a test. I had to prove that they are willing to go as far as they have to, through empty halls of ruined stone, due to trust alone. I had to prove to myself that they were the right choice.

* _One thing I never asked, did we ever go back to the Chateau? Do you think it's still there?_ * Nil asked.

* _I did, not a decade ago, when I went to gather food. It was gone._ * I shrugged. Around where the Chateau used to be, was a rather fertile section of forest. I had gotten used to raiding the forest for foodstuffs under the cover of night, but I was always wary of being spotted by non-feral Pokemon. The last thing I needed was a witch hunt.

* _So even the ghosts had moved on?_ *

* _Everything has, except us. But now?_ *

* _Our time is finally here._ *

* * *

Oreburgh was just as lively as it was when I had first entered it. Novice trainers darting about, and the distant clang of metal on stone rang from within the mine. However, the feeling in the air this time was different. While before I had felt nothing but dread, this time, I felt determination instead. However, the gym could wait. Right now, my priority was searching for the nearest shop. It was time to buy supplies.

The shop I found was standard in appearance, being made out of the same pre-fabricated parts that every other shop was made from. That is, the shop looked like a box, and was built for function, and not form. In a desperate attempt to make it fit in more, the builders had painted the roof a deeper than usual navy blue. It didn't help.

The clerk raised his head from the magazine he was reading, and hailed me in when I entered the shop. I didn't want to be rude, so I quickly acknowledged his greeting, before getting down to the task at hand. The most pressing items I needed were curatives and food, both of which were both easily found, and reasonably cheap. I almost sprung for a pack of Pokeballs as well, but even looking at one brought back flashbacks of pain, and so they remained on the shelf. Looking over my selection, I grunted appreciatively as I approached the cashier to pay. I dropped the handful of coins I had absentmindedly gathered from our foray within the Chateau upon the counter as I turned to leave.

0-0-0

The gym building was much more interesting. The inside was solid stone, with the floors and pillars hewn from solid rock, and polished to a mirror sheen. I spotted circular tubes on the ceiling to allow airflow into the building from above. Pickaxes, drills, and hammers lined the walls, seemingly serving as decoration. I approached the first trainer, hoping that my preparations were enough.

Nil easily defeated the first trainer's Pokemon, and while there was an obvious path around the next, my limited supply of non-gemstone, non plundered currency led me to challenge them too. With the two preliminaries out of the way, I ascended the polished marble stairs to the platform where the gym leader, a stout, aged, bearded man awaited. He nodded towards me as I approached.

"Welcome to my gym. You seem pretty strong; how come I haven't seen you before?"

He had, of course, never seen me before, due to those two trainers having beat me every time had I tried before. It took a lot of effort not cringe at his observation.

"I... I missed this gym the first time around." I stuttered.

"It's okay. Your Umbreon seems pretty strong; this shouldn't take long."

He called out his first pokemon, a Geodude. Despite what he said, it took quite a while. Although Nil could easily dance around any attempt at an attack, she had a difficult time staggering her opponent. Four charging tackles later, we had both begun to lose our patience. Nil was the first to complain.

* _Ugh... This is boring. Do we really have to do this?_ *

"It's not like it's difficult, just finish up so we can be done with here."

The gym leader raised an eyebrow in my direction.

* _I don't think I'm even slowing it down._ *

"You are, just keep hitting it. It'll go down eventually."

The gym leader's expression morphed from annoyance to concern.

"Uh... Are you all right there?" he asked.

"Nil here's complaining about how long this is taking." I replied. I was a bit disappointed by how much of my annoyance bled through to my voice.

* _I've knocked it down three times, but it keeps getting back up._ *

"Err... Okay." mumbled the Leader

The Geodude went down a minute later, having not landed a single solid hit on Nil. Similarly, the next two Pokemon sent out, a Cranidos and a Shieldon went down without a hitch, but not before taking a dozen hits each. I had long since stopped paying attention, as Nil had begun doing her own thing. When I heard the gym leader clearing his voice, I looked back towards him, sighting a very tired looking Nil.

"Good job! I'm supposed to tell you a speech, but I forgot it, and kids these days don't ever listen to it anyway. Anyway, you won! Here's your badge."

He handed me the badge. His expression changed back to concern.

"Uh... also. That bit with you talking to your Umbreon there; what was that about?"

"I told you. She was complaining about how long it took." I replied, hoping to leave quickly so I could go sleep.

"As in, you could hear your Umbreon?" nudged the Leader

"Yeah, couldn't you?"

He squinted at me for a moment, and then shrugged while throwing his hands into the air.

"I'm a gym leader, not a psychologist. You might want to get that checked out. Good luck on your journey anyway."

0-0-0

Nil and I walked out from the gym in silence. As I rummaged through my bag, searching for something to put my new badge into, I glanced skywards. It had been at least an hour since we went in. Nil had long since regained her composure, and had begun to voice complaints.

* _If every one of these gyms are like this, I'm running away._ *

"That one wasn't that hard, they couldn't even touch you."

* _I'm more annoyed by how long it took to take them down. It was like ramming a brick wall._ *

"Not everything can be exciting, you know."

* _That certainly never stopped you before, mister give-up-and-go-exploring!_ *

"..."

* _Do you have anything to say for yourself?_ *

"..."

* _Nothing at all?_ *

"I'm sorry..."

* _Huh?_ *

"How about this. We go and train for a bit, so that you can beat those sort of Pokemon down faster."

* _Not exactly the solution I was hoping for, but it wouldn't hurt._ *

"What exactly was the solution you were looking for?"

* _I'm not exactly sure. I just thought that we could do something else next time._ *

I had finally found a small cloth sack which, while unorthodox, would serve as a badge case quite effectively.

0-0-0

As we left the town, I asked Nil my final question for the day, a question that had been burning in the back of my mind for the entirety of this week.

"Have you noticed that the other trainers can't seem to hear you talk?"

* _Honestly, they probably just don't listen. You certainly don't._ *

"But isn't it weird then? That I can hear you?" I paused for a moment. "After all, if anything I should be the one would CAN'T hear you."

I paused for a moment as I recalled a similar story, I had heard a long time ago.

"There were Pokemon that could speak our language, but they spent years learning it. I don't think you had such freedom."

* _Yeah, what with being trapped in a ball for however long it was. Speaking of which, what happened to mine?_ *

"It exploded."

* _It exploded?_ *

"Well... It exploded first. After that, the Pokeball ended up in my arm, face, leg, and chest. I think there's still some of it in there."

* _Huh. Maybe I can talk to you because I don't have a Pokeball, then?_ *

"Maybe, just maybe. Or maybe you can talk only because if you weren't able to, you wouldn't be able to insult me." I grinned.

 _*I guess that's a possibility too.*_

We left the town in silence, both deep in thought.


	8. Curiosity

I'm always on the lookout for critique, criticism, and the occasional flame. (What? I get bored too!)

 **I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

We went to great lengths, back then, to learn new moves, and even further to come up with new strategies. After all, our problem with that gym was simply caused by our relative weakness: Nil had only just evolved, and thus lacked a method of dealing with opponents that wouldn't go down easily.

* _It was much harder, back then to fight sturdier enemies._ * My voice whispers.

* _It still is, I never was one to keep a distance, to circle and dodge._ * Nil's voice replies.

* _And yet, you kept doing it._ *

* _I had my talents, and you had yours. It worked out for me, as you can obviously remember_ *

* _In the long run, maybe, but it definitely caused more problems than it fixed._ *

I waited for a moment, before asking a question I had never received an acceptable answer for before.

* _Back then, why did you resist me so much?_ *

* _I don't know. Maybe because you were dumb._ *

We both grinned. No matter what changed, that answer never did. It gave us hope, that despite what we had experienced, that on the inside, we were the same as we always were. Every day, for the past hundred years, we had both prayed that this was true. We both know without a doubt that this belief is a lie, but giving up on it would simply be too painful to bear.

* _How long do you think we have?_ * I continue.

* _I have no clue. You have to remember, that ever since we came back, the passageways have become even more warped: there's no guarantee that they haven't been moved backwards, up the stairs instead._ *

* _I hope they don't give up._ *

* _They won't. I've watched them, ever since our last outing. Nothing phases them, not the ice, not the heat, and not even the gods slow them down. They will make it down here, even if it's the last thing they do._ *

* _And thus the only thing left is time._ *

* _It's hard to believe we would ever have a shortage on that._ *

* * *

The journey from there was swift; even with Nil's occasional complaints, we ploughed through all opposition, easily besting the next two gyms. Over time, we became more and more confident in our abilities. This began to manifest as pride, and recklessness. However, as luck would have it, the next gym lay on the other side of Mount Coronet, a massive mountain that bisected Sinnoh. Nil was less than pleased to hear that there were also some ruins sites within it. I had already examined a majority of them, but according to word of mouth, a new section had been recently unearthed.

* _Are you sure that this is the only way through? I get the feeling that you're just taking a detour._ *

"I've checked and double checked, and this is the only way to where we need to go without either using a boat, or swimming. It shouldn't take too long, anyway. There's only one site inside of it that I'm interested in."

* _I swear, you should ask for a pamphlet from those ruins maniac guys. Maybe you can join wanderlust anonymous._ *

It was midday when we arrived at the nearest entrance to the mountain. Confident that my supplies were enough, we entered.

It was from that point forward that I began culturing a hatred for Zubat.

What most maps, tourist pamplets, and guides back then failed to state, was that Mount Coronet was one of the largest Zubat nesting ground in Sinnoh: as we looked up, only small patches of bare cave ceiling were visible amid the roiling blue mass of beating wings and angry shrieks. I hadn't paid much attention to the floor before, but I had noticed that it was a much different color than the walls or the ceiling. Curious now, I bent down to take a closer look, covering my head as I did so. The beige, which I had originally attributed to a natural dirt floor, was actually just years worth of piled and hardened guano, caked into a alloy of filth as hard as stone. I chuckled to myself as I realized that any other trainer wouldn't have even thought twice about it. Just to be thorough I removed a scraping tool from my pack, intent to learn how deep the cave floor was buried.

Three layers later, the real floor was finally revealed. To be honest, I wasn't exactly happy about standing on top of four inches of Zubat poop.

Using the Zubats as an excuse, I turned off the path, towards the latest site. According to what I had heard, it was recently excavated barely halfway up the mountain, and while it lacked riches, it made up for this in ancient statues. Similarily, word of mouth said that historians were willing to pay a pretty penny for any statue, simply to learn about our region's past. I found the area quickly, as it was littered with loose chunks of stone, discarded tools, and broken glass. I moved beside the opening, wanting to take a closer look before going in. After all, I didn't want to barge in on anyone.

Through the opening, I saw men in ragged black uniforms, standing around a carved marble pillar. Although the ones closest to the door were simply leaning against the pillar, the rest were moving frantically, swinging tools against the stone. I began to approach them, before I immediately recoiled. They weren't excavating the area, but rather breaking the statues and pillars into fragments, and stuffing them into bags.

I had heard of the criminal organizations that existed in Sinnoh, most notably, the now-disbanded Team Galactic. The uniforms of these men seemed to match up, but were much more ragged and worn than the photograph of their uniforms I had seen. Even stranger, I knew that what they were doing was ineffective. Galactic was known for having deep roots as a smuggling ring, and anyone worth their salt would have realized that the relics were worth much more whole than in pieces. Whoever these people were, they were here on their own will. Curious, I ducked back behind cover, and listened to their conversation. From what I could tell, one of the criminals was either reciting a speech, or venting.

"... threw us out? Leaving us rummaging for scraps? Even if we get a good price for all this ****, we're still in a hole. Traitorous assholes! Even if they weren't lying when they said that these things were worth money, I doubt it'll be enough."

"They hid behind their "Policies" and "Code", but it was all a trick to screw us over later! Thanks to those asshats, we don't even have any Pokemon! It's not our goddamn fault that our mission failed: it's because those other cowards ran away when they lost!"

"The next bastard we stumble across is gonna get it; if Galactic's not gonna be the scary bad guys, then I guess we'll just have to."

Another voice interrupted temporarily.

"You mean murder?"

The raving leader's anger only became greater. There was silence for several moments, before the sound of metal impacting stone broke the silence. He had obviously thrown his tool at the wall to make a point.

"Only the first few! We only need to prove to the world that we aren't the sort of idiots that run away from kids when we lose. After that, we can make a pretty penny off of ransom alone. People nowadays are so stupid, that if we cover our tracks, they won't find us, even if they try."

It would not be an overstatement to say that I was scared out of my mind. While I had experienced many dangerous obstacles before, comparatively, they weren't nearly as bad. The trap would have killed me, yes, but it would have done so quickly. Similarly, by then I had realized that the ghosts had no intent of adding me to their number either, as they were more focused on routing us than inflicting harm. These thugs?

I knew right away that if I was caught, horrible things would happen to me. If they were so willing to kill strangers, just to create a name for themselves, I could only imagine what they would do to someone, who they knew was listening in on them. Trying my best to stay silent, I lowered myself closer to the ground to minimize chance of detection. Carefully, I began inching my way back towards the entrance of the mountain; away from the obviously-murderous criminals.

I managed to turn a corner, only to see another man approaching, wearing the same uniform as the criminals. This one was carrying a bucket of water, meaning that it was likely that he had gone outside to refill supplies. He hadn't noticed me yet, and was whistling a jaunty tune as he walked down the passage. Nil and I glanced towards each other for but a moment, before nodding and continuing to run.

"... Hey wait, why is there a kid out here... Wait what? AURGHH..."

I struck the scout in the gut with my shoulder, while Nil circled around to strike the back of his leg. Already stunned by our sudden appearance, our victim showed no sign of resistance as he fell backwards into the ground with a thud. The wooden bucket that he was previously carrying struck the stone, shattering to pieces and drenching the scout, along with leaving several puddles upon the stone. We kept running, desperate to put as much distance between us and the hornets' nest we had just stirred up. I was temporarily afraid that we had killed our victim, but those worries were proven pointless when he screamed through his gritted teeth.

"GUYS HELP! SOME KID JUST HIT ME. owwww..."

In an instant, the thugs from the other room flooded into the hallway, saw me running, and began pursuit. A few bent down to help the one the I knocked over, and a few more slipped on the freshly-wet stone, but many more charged forward at full speed.

Trying my hardest to stay ahead, Nil and I tore through the tunnels, desperate to outrun our pursuers. We kept running until we found a small recess in the rock, into which we hid. We both waited for several moments, motionless and breath shallow, before I gathered up the courage to peek outside.

The thugs had stopped at an intersection, where they began to split off in different directions. From my blind estimate, I gave myself a mere ten minutes to escape before a patrol found us.

I whispered to Nil, hoping for her cooperation, just this once.

"We need to get out of here."

* _Do you know which way is out?_ *

"Yes, but they're probably guarding it. We'll need to be very careful."

* _Great, just great._ *

As we dodged several patrolling thugs, I began to no longer trust that my own voice would not betray our position. I began whispering quieter and quieter, having long since assumed that Nil had better hearing than a human. However, rather than communicate effectively, a majority of my words concerned whining.

"I can't believe our luck..."

* _Luckiest human around, aren't you._ *

Two more close calls with patrols were avoided by hiding in crevasses in the rock. The second was too close, forcing me to scrape past a jagged rock. It cut deeply, causing quite a bit of bleeding, but I didn't notice: I was too hopped up on adrenaline to care. We continued running, still desperate on escaping.

At last, the staircase down to the main chamber was within sight. Two of the uniformed men stood there, facing away from the stairs.

My whispering had long since become effectively inaudible. I wasn't sure whether I was truly making noise, but was too paranoid to care.

"On the count of three, we mak _e a run for safety. Can you hear me okay?_ *

* _I can hear you fine._ *

"Thr _ee..._ *

"Tw _o..._ *

"O _NE._ *

In a final burst of speed, Nil and I dove past the guards, and rapidly descended, headed for the nearest exit. The two guards, obviously having seen us, resumed the chase, determined to cut us off. What they failed to take into account, however, was that I had foolishly taken fresh blood directly into a Zubat swarm.

Not a moment after I entered the main chamber, the screeching stopped, leaving the room eerily quiet. If I had been paying more attention, I would have noticed, but at the time, I was too focused on the two men with sharp implements chasing me down. As we passed under the swarm, only then did it explode into action.

What felt like thousands of Zubats descended, forming a solid wall of hungry mouths. A handful clung to my arm, face, hair, and even my legs. One particularly fat one attached itself to my injured arm. Doing my best to ignore my discomfort, I continued running, ignoring the buffeting wings and shrieks. The criminals didn't fare much better.

"Rick! Why are there so many goddamn bats?"

"I don't know, Sam!"

"Where'd the kid go?"

"I don't know! I can't see! It's like there's a zubat clinging to my face. ... Wait! There is one clinging to my face! GET IT OFF..."

"Brush it off you idiot! We need to ... HOLY CRAP I THINK ONE JUST CRAPPED IN MY MOUTH!?"

"This isn't worth it. Let's just say he got away."

"Stupid kid. What the hell did he do to stir up this many Zubats?"

Only when I had exited the cave and could no longer hear footsteps did I dare slow down. Only then did I notice the Zubats still clinging to me. While most of the Zubats dislodged when I escaped to the sunlight, a few of the more determined ones still latched on, not quite so willing to forfeit a meal. Even so, all but the one clinging to my bleeding arm were easily dislodged with a hammer, with the remaining one requiring several hits.

Now free of stowaways, I was fully able to take a look at the damage. My arm, the only major injury, had a deep cut, about two inches long and heavily dessicated from having blood drained from it. It looked horrible, being discolored to a pale hue, but I knew that it would heal with time. The other thing I realized was that I was drenched in guano. My clothes were drenched in it, and my hair had become hardened by the drying scat. The only part of my body not covered in it, was my arm. It seemed that the Zubat that had clung to it had done an admirable job of keeping it clean, by blocking the incoming guano with its body.

Extremely winded, I attempted to complain to Nil, but was unable to choke out a single word. Instead, I ended up silently fuming to myself.

* _That sucked. I hurt everywhere. I'm just glad none of the crap got into my injuries._ *

* _Were you trying to make a joke there? It wasn't funny._ *

I blinked.

* _Wait, you can hear me? I'm not actually speaking right now._ *

* _... Are you pulling my leg?_ *

* _I'm serious. I barely have enough breath to stop myself from passing out._ *

Nil glanced at me, gave me a strange look, and then nodded.

* _Weird, I could hear you loud and clear when you were whispering, too. Much clearer than I should have been able to hear, that's for sure._ *

* _I'm too tired to think about it right now. Let's go find somewhere we can go clean ourselves off. Sleeping would be nice too._ *

* _I will never feel clean again._ *

* _Neither will I._ *

And with that, we limped our way towards Hearthome city, caked in many layers of rapidly hardening filth. To our surprise, no trainer even tried to stop us as we made a beeline towards the city.


	9. Humiliation

**This chapter's rather short, so I'm posting two this week.**

* * *

Several people who were previously going about their business stopped and stared at us as we entered the town. I didn't blame them: many trainers had passed through Mount Coronet, but I doubt that any had ever arrived bleeding, caked in guano, and wearing ripped clothes. Then again, it was unlikely that these people had ever encountered a trainer with my almost-supernatural ability to get hurt in new and exciting ways before. They saw Nil in the same condition as well, but paid no heed: Pokemon were, in their eyes, made to take punishment.

I approached the closest gawker, intent to find a Pokemon Center to clean off and rest. My intent was so obvious, that before I could even speak, he had already pointed towards it. I began my walk towards being able to clean myself, but along the way I overheard the man I passed speak to another.

"What the hell happened to that kid? It looks like he picked a fight with a Scyther, and lost."

"Sorta strange that he's so quiet, normally kids that hurt don't even make it to the town."

"He must have SOMETHING going for him, if he managed to make it back at all."

"Should we really be talking like this when he's around?"

"Nah. He looks half dead. No way he can hear us."

I muttered under my breath, still intent on keeping my mouth shut until I cleaned off.

* _Assholes._ *

Unlike last time I was in a Pokemon Center, the crowds parted in front of me, as I marched directly towards the shower rooms. I wasn't sure what played the largest part, the blood, smell, or my face, which was frozen in a seething mix of anger, pain, and disgust. An hour later, I still didn't feel clean. I made sure to thoroughly wash out my cut with soapy water, a painful process which I had to restart six times. However, I knew that a little bit of pain would be worth it, rather than losing a limb due to infection. Another half-hour after that, I decided I had cleaned out the cut to the best of my ability, and gingerly dried myself off, taking special care to avoid touching the open wound. I donned my last spare set of clothes I owned, and turned to Nil.

"Are you going to say something sarcastic now?"

* _Only that if you don't find a way to wash ME off, you're never going to hear the end of it._ *

I sighed. The shower wouldn't work on Nil, and I couldn't use a pokeball to clean her quickly. Seeing no other choice, I went to the front and asked for a washtub. My question raised an eyebrow, but you don't argue with the person who came in caked in guano. I eventually was given a small plastic washtub, meant for children. Nil seemed like she was about to complain, but decided indignity was better than having the guano fully harden in her fur.

Yet another hour of furious scrubbing later, I had checked my equipment, and entered the sleeping quarters. It was late, so many trainers were already asleep. However, I knew that it'd be a good idea to clean and dress the wound before I slept. Pausing for a moment, I removed my first-aid kit from my bag, and removed a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a bandage, and a cotton swab. I had seen the label on the back of the rubbing alcohol, and thus knew what I had to do to apply it. Assuming it'd prevent any infection, I took the swab, liberally doused it in rubbing alcohol, and pressed it quickly against my open wound. I expected it to feel like washing out the cut.

My screams woke up the entire room. Several graveyard-shift staff came running, whom I only left after I explained exactly what I had done.

Several minutes and an entire room's worth of angry looks later, I applied the bandage to the arm, before climbing into my bunk. Nil, having watched me carefully ever since I applied the rubbing alcohol, finally chimed in.

* _Another wondrous success by Wanderlust Anonymous._ *

Not wanting to wake everyone up again, I was forced to whisper. It felt like I was forgetting something.

"I checked our stuff, at least we didn't lose anything."

* _Besides a gallon of blood each. And in your case, your dignity._ *

"You lost yours, too."

* _I lost my dignity long ago, right about the time when I started associating with you._ *

I finally had calmed down enough to look back at what had happened.

"How exactly were you able to hear me, back when we were running?"

* _I don't know. I just... knew what you were saying. And I felt certain that I heard you correctly._ *

"That sounds a lot like what you're doing."

Nil paused for a moment. I was unsure if it was from confusion, or trying to remember.

* _Really? Didn't you say you can hear me? I'm still speaking, but for some reason you're the only one who understand what I am saying._ *

"I can, but I'm a human, and don't understand Pokemon. It's just... in your case, I know what you mean."

* _Strange, because I'm definitely speaking what I am saying._ *

I shook my head in resignation. We weren't getting anywhere with our wild guesses, and I was getting too tired to care.

"We should sleep. There's no point trying to figure things out this late."

* _Fine..._ *

As I drifted to sleep, I felt a strange sensation at the location of my cut: both icy cold, and burning hot.


	10. Recovery

**This is the second chapter this week.**

 **As always, I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

* _Even after so many years, simply trying to remember that makes me feel... unclean._ * Nil whispers, breaking my focus for but a moment.

* _Can't blame you. It sticks out in your mind because of how disgusting it was. That experience really made it much harder to survive the first month after you left for the surface, you know._ *

* _Huh?_ *

* _When you first left, the first Pokemon teams were criss-crossing the surface: the chance of detection and being tracked were simply too high to risk. And such, to survive..._ *

* _You seriously ate Zubat for a month, after I left?_ *

* _Despite what you'd think, once you cook them, they tasted better than the scavenged berries and canned food I occasionally find in human ruins we had been eating before. Stringy, but sweet. Don't worry though, all of them were feral: I wouldn't have even considered it if they weren't._ *

* _What sort of life have we lived, where you can remember eating feral Zubats as a FOND memory? Was it really that bad?_ *

* _No... our lives weren't always doom and gloom..._ *

* _Not as far back as I remember..._ *

* _Really? I'd assume you'd enjoy your travels on the surface._ *

* _I would, but it just feels... wrong leaving you down here to rot. It feels like I'm missing something. Besides: exploring was always your thing, not mine. I can't help but imagine that if you were in my position, and I in yours, we'd be much better off than we are now._ *

* _Trust me. You don't want to be in my position._ *

I pause for a moment, before continuing, sighing quietly.

* _I miss the old world. The world where I didn't have to hide. The world before I was considered a monster."_ *

I shake my head. That world was gone: time waits for no one, least of all us. We still had a job to do, but for now, all we need to do was wait.

* * *

The day started as any other. I pulled myself out of the bed, checked my things, and prepared to head out. My bandage felt tighter today than yesterday, but I paid that fact no heed. I was halfway to the door, intent on tackling the next gym as soon as I could, before one of the nurses tapped me on the shoulder.

"Are you alright? Last night you walked in pretty beat up. Your arm was bleeding pretty bad too. Also, you started screaming at about midnight. What was that about?"

I turned towards the voice. As expected, it was the same nurse that saw me walk in yesterday. Or at least, I thought it was. The Pokemon Center's strict uniform of pink wigs and doctors scrubs made it difficult to tell the nurses apart.

"I'm okay. I'm hoping to head out right away."

"You should at least let one of the staff take a look at the injury: just to make sure it's not infected."

"It should be fine, I... rubbed alcohol on it yesterday at about midnight. That's why I... well."

The nurse gave me a look of shock.

"You are aware that you didn't need to do that; we have real disinfectant here. And painkillers, too! We do in fact do more than just treat pokemon, you know."

* _HAHAHAHA. Oh man..._ *

I grumbled to myself. I was too focused last night on being self sufficient to realize that I had walked into a hospital; completely unaware that they had real medical supplies.

"You should at least let us look at it. After all, we know our stuff."

Seeing no reason why not, I rolled up my sleeve, and presented my bandaged arm.

"This isn't a bad effort, actually. Who taught you first aid?"

"Necessity."

I had of course spent a period of time learning the basics of cleaning and treating wounds, once I began doing my explorations. I didn't know if I would need those skills, but it never hurt to learn what could save your life.

"Well, let's open this up, and see what we're looking at."

Producing some bandage shears from a pocket, the nurse cut a bit of the bandage, unwinding it with a smooth motion. I was prepared for many responses, but not the one I received.

"This arm's completely fine?"

I blinked for a moment as I tried to process what I had just heard. After I decided that I had heard her correctly, I looked at the back of my arm. The cut that was there yesterday was completely gone.

"That can't be right. Errr... Just to be clear, you ARE the boy that walked in last night covered in Zubat poop, right?"

I winced as the horrible experience resurfaced itself in my memory.

"Don't remind me."

"Well, I'm not entirely sure what happened. It seems that your arm's completely fine, though."

"Any clue what could have caused the cut to disappear?"

"Well, how bad a cut was it?"

"About 2 inches wide, and it looked like a prune. I got it yesterday after I cut myself on a sharp rock in Mount Coronet."

"I would assume the Zubats would have something to do with the dessication, huh?"

"Any idea how yesterday I had a cut, and today, it's gone without a trace?"

"Sorry, but this really had no precedent! But please, if you do manage to get hurt again, feel free to ask for assistance from one of our staff. In fact, I'm certain almost any Pokemon Center has someone on hand able to help as well."

* _No, No. I'm sure Vis here can try and clean it again. He likes to screw things up by himself._ *

"Thank you. Time to get going." In a quieter voice, I muttered towards Nil, "Shut up Nil."

I left the Pokemon Center bewildered. Ever since I set off that trap in the ruins, my life had taken a turn for the bizarre. First I learned Nil could talk, but only I could hear her, yet for some reason she was a sarcastic jerk. Every step of my journey was more dangerous that I could imagine, and now injuries were disappearing overnight with no treatment. I pinched myself to check if I was still asleep and having some sort of deranged nightmare. No luck. This was real.

"I... suppose we should go beat the gym leader here?"

* _That is what you came here to do, right? Unless getting attacked again was your plan. Was it? Then again, it might very well have been._ *

The gyms type was detailed in the sign, revealing its contents as ghost Pokemon. The sign was more or less plain, but in the corner, scribbled onto the painted wood in black paint was text which read: I ain't afraid of no ghosts.

"Ghosts, huh?"

* _Ready for round two?*_

I grinned as we entered the gym.

The gym was an absolute pushover. The moves they used were ineffective, their defences were imperfect, and even their gloomy décor did nothing to throw me off my game. And this time, the price of failure wasn't even being chased through a forest by a horde of angry revenants. Even the leader's Pokemon fell quickly, after landing only a few solid hits. We left the gym, as I threw the badge up and down in my palm, feeling rather good about myself.

"We're getting better at this."

* _Maybe. I'm not entirely sure we weren't at an advantage in there._ *

"A win's a win."

I reached into my bag, and placed the badge with the others.

"Off to the next city on our list?"

* _Oh joy, what wonders await us on the road to there? Maybe this time we'll get eaten by something. Or lose limbs! I always thought four legs was too many._ *

'You really need to stop being such a pessimist."

* _Is it really being pessimistic if this sort of thing happens to us all the time?_ *

I placed my face into my hands. Why DID bad things keep happening to me?

"Touche."


	11. Our Second Mistake

Chapter 10

The route to Canalave city, our next destination, had a much different feel than the other legs of our journey we had experienced back then. Although there were trainers about, doing their best to improve their skills, their overall presence was much lighter than other routes: a fact we were both happy about, for it meant that we arrived at our destination quicker. The few trainers that we did encounter on the main road went down quickly; enough to grant us a false sense of superiority.

Eventually we arrived at Canalave. Unlike any city we had seen before, this one was directly on the water: dry-docked boats edged the city limits, and dozens of boats floated in the harbor; ranging in size from a one-man dinghy, to what appeared to be cruise ships. We spent the night at a PokeCenter, where the relaxing sound of water sloshing against the docks and walkways served to calm us down immensely. We felt ready for anything. We entered the gym.

We were not prepared.

While the trainers that staffed the gym used Pokemon that were much sturdier than we were used to, they still failed to put up a meaningful resistance. Unfettered, we pushed onwards, determined to reach the end, as quickly as we could, and take another step in our journey.

Of course, we made a horrible mistake extremely quickly. Unlike his assistants, the gym's leader was no pushover. Simply taking down just one of his Pokemon took several minutes, of frantic dodging and continuous assault. By the third pokemon, Nil had taken a fully defensive stance, focusing entirely upon dodging the ruinous blows that rained down around her. What few attacks she could land were simply opportunistic counter attacks.

Still, Nil succeeded in taking down three of the leader's Pokemon. Through a mixture of luck, and exceptionally close calls, she had managed to avoid a majority of the hits, while suffering only glancing blows in return. Unfortunately, the leader's fourth Pokemon was a Steelix. And this one? This one was faster than the others.

Nil didn't even have time to counter attack the Steelix's relentless blows. Even worse, I could feel the power in each attack: every time a segment of the gigantic snake connected with the ground due to a missed hit, I could feel the ground vibrating below me. Still, we managed to survive for a good five minutes.

Eventually, Nil had decided to try and make an aggressive move, in hopes of putting a dent in the metal monstrosity. However, rather than take the hit, the Steelix lifted its front half directly into the air. It lingered for a moment, as Nil and I both continued on, oblivious. Three seconds later, the titan crashed to the ground with a force large enough to cause me to lose my footing. As soon as it made contact, I heard an audible crunch, and my mind filled with deafening static. I didn't even bother trying to save face.

I quickly surrendered, and in response, the Steelix was recalled. Below where it was before, was Nil. Nil was in bad shape, but very much alive... but unconscious, bleeding heavily, and half of her limbs appeared to be bent the wrong way. I immediately leaped into action, doing my best to bend her limbs the right way, and spraying down her bleeding injuries with medicinal sprays. Then, when I was certain that she would survive the trip, I picked her up, and carried her to the PokeCenter.

The next hour was a mess. I had to explain several times that Nil lacked a Pokeball, sometimes multiple times to the same nurse. Still, they did their work admirably, even though it was obvious they were not used to having to operate upon a Pokemon. I struck up a conversation with one of the people in the Center, in hopes of passing the time while my partner was healed.

"Do... the nurses here not operate on Pokemon very often?"

The person I had asked, a teenage trainer wearing glasses, did his best to answer my question.

"According to the science journals I've read, the Pokeball system works by converting Pokemon to energy. So, apparently, that means that if a Pokemon gets injured, when they come back out the ball, they'll be in the exact same shape as if they were completely healthy. It's really cool. When I grow up, I want to be a scientist... imagine how useful it'd be if you could do that with people!"

I shuddered involuntarily. I couldn't shake the feeling that, no matter what the benefits of such a device would be, I would opt out to the best of my ability.

"So my partner, who doesn't have a Pokeball?"

"Huh, that's a funny way of describing your Pokemon. Do you only have one?"

"Yeah. Only one."

We talked for several more minutes, before one of the Nurses came to get me. Just as she arrived, the static I had been hearing vanished. I was led to Nil, who, while still in bad shape, at least was able to move on her own power. They warned me about it being important to have a Pokeball for Nil, to prevent such a thing from happening again, and even more importantly, to not put her into a new Pokeball before she fully healed. They said something about "Imprinted form" and "reverting", to which I nodded. I wasn't planning on putting her in a ball anyway... Instead, I'd need to be much, much more careful.

Several more minutes later, Nil slowly drudged out of the Pokecenter beside me, legs obviously stiff, body still shivering in pain. She tried to glance towards me, but found herself unable to turn her head. Instead, she slowly walked a circle, until she was facing me. I could feel her pain in her voice... if it really was her voice. I still wasn't sure, back then.

* _That was horrible._ *

I could only nod sadly.

* _I don't think I'm going to be able to much of anything..._ *

I quietly replied. "I'm so sorry. There was nothing I could have done... And now..."

* _So you're going to give up again?_ *

"I don't see another choice…"

* _At least I can walk again; it'd... suck if you had needed to carry me around everywhere..._ *

"So what do we do now? There's no way you'll be able to fight, definitely not in this condition."

* _Why are you asking me?_ *

I paused for a moment, unsure of whether she was being sarcastic, or asking a genuine question. I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"Because this is my fault."

* _. . ._ *

We both stared northward, towards the docks. A few boats lazily drifted in an out of the harbor, silent as ghosts, besides the occasional blare of a horn.

"Well... There's nothing left for us here, in Sinnoh."

* _Sinnoh isn't the only place, in the world._ *

"Maybe. It's worth a shot, right?"

I dug my hand into my bag, searching for the small pouch where I kept my valuables. The bag I had chosen originally had a small, hollow compartment, likely due to an error in manufacturing. I quickly turned this into a boon, and used the false wall to hide things I didn't trust other trainers to loot while I slept. I retrieved a small stack of bills. Although, as always, my money was frugal, I had saved up a comparatively large sum: more than enough to break from the journey for a while.

I turned to walk towards the harbor, before quickly backtracking. I was going to have to move a lot slower than I was used to, at least until Nil...

I cleared my mind. Until Nil was better. She was definitely going to get better: I could feel it in my gut. Still, I decided she might use a bit of help.

"So, do you need me to go get a carry-on bag for you to sit in? Or maybe a furniture dolly?"

* _... Not nice. Although, if you could go get a shopping cart or something..._ *

Five minutes later, I walked inside of the marina, pulling a small, blue plastic wagon behind me. I had purchased the wagon from a family inside the town: apparently, their child had just recently outgrown it. Inside the wagon, Nil was glaring at me in indignation. Still, both of us were glad that we were able to make progress without me needing to carry Nil around, nor waiting for her to catch up.

The interior of the marina was painted off-white with cyan accents, seemingly outlining the obvious shelf on one of the walls, filled to the brim with brochures. Beside it was a beat up corkboard, coated in a thick layer of requests, offers, and the occasional scam. I dragged Nil's wagon towards the corkboard, before flipping the plastic safety brakes. Shrugging my shoulders, I wandered over towards the brochure area, and returned with a handful.

The first few brochures were disheartening. I read them aloud in a mixture of confusion and amusement. I commented on each one, a feat reciprocated by Nil. We were both doing our best efforts to amuse ourselves, despite the situation.

"Kanto: home of the original Pokemon League. How about no."

* _Yes, because battling is exactly what we want to get away from. NEXT!_ *

"Hoenn: tons of beaches!. Not exactly my sort of thing."

* _Yeah, I haven't actually ever seen you swim. Are you even able to?_ *

" . . . I don't think I've ever received training, that's for sure."

I flipped to the next pamplet. It was beige, and... beige. It had a camouflage background style, but the outside of the pamphlet was simply black text on beige. It was inspiringly, impossibly bad.

"I'm not entirely sure why this brochure is even here. It just says Orre: We have stuff."

* _Just... What is that thing. It looks like they ran out of budget._ *

"This is by far the most boring sheet of paper I've ever seen. I think the value of this brochure is probably much lower than the value of the materials they wasted to make it."

* _EXACTLY._ *

I stared at the Orre pamphlet for several more moments, before I returned the handful of pamphlets back to the bank in disgust. Every single "Vacation spot" had either an active battling community, or something horribly wrong with it. (In Orre's case, it was a desert wasteland which had so few redeeming factors, that the fact they recently displaced a major criminal gang had made the pamphlet.) Wondering if the ones at the top were simply what most trainers wanted, I dug my hand down to the bottom for one of the pamphlets below the others.

I retrieved a tastefully colored pamphlet, advertising a region known as Almia. It described itself as a Pokemon sanctuary, with a very large portion of the region undeveloped. I fully expected Nil to mock my choice of the region with the most area to explore, but she was too focused at a piece of paper tacked onto the corkboard. Shrugging, I turned my attention back onto the papers in my hands.

"This place seems pretty good. It's forested, more or less anti-battling, and doesn't seem to have many things wrong with it. How about Almia?"

Nil replied, but did not turn towards me. Her response seemed more whimsical than normal.

* _Up to you!_ *

"Okay. What exactly are you looking at…"

I stepped back towards Nil, and traced her line of sight to a piece of paper, boldly lettered in huge text which read: ' _Hoping to tell your problem to get lost? Join Wanderlust Anonymous today, and leave your troubles behind!_ '.

* _Look! I found your people!_ *

"Ha Ha. Very funny."

Paying no further attention to the notice, I grabbed the handle of the wagon and walked with the brochure to the main desk. I placed the brochure down, and rung the bell, hoping to draw someone to the currently-empty reception desk. Eventually, a portly man strolled out, ready to answer my questions.

"Do you have any ships going to a place called Almia?"

He gestured for me to hand him the brochure. I complied.

"Well that's a name I haven't heard in awhile. If you don't mind me asking, what purpose are you hoping to go to Almia for?"

"Just taking a break from the League challenge. I'm hoping to find a quiet place to relax for a while, maybe go sightseeing."

"You're a trainer? They don't take kindly to trainers: they say it's a nature reserve, over there. They confiscate any Pokeball you try and bring over, assuming they even let you through. They say that Pokeballs are "Bad for Pokemon", and if you're unlucky, they'll confiscate your caught Pokemon too. They give your stuff back when you leave, but still. Bad business, them folks."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem."

I gestured behind me, towards Nil. The man followed my finger, towards Nil, who had since sat down, and tried to make herself comfortable. This had taken at least a dozen tries; I didn't envy the pain she likely experienced when she tried to bend her legs. The man stared at Nil, before asking for clarification.

"Uhh... please explain what exactly I'm seeing."

"My Umbreon doesn't have a Pokeball, and is currently injured. I'm hoping to go sightseeing until she recovers."

"Wait, your pokemon doesn't have..."

I cut him off as he spoke. I had already been through this once already.

"Yeah, it's weird. But what's done is done, and I think Almia has a good chance at being a good vacation spot."

"You're still going to need some sort of confirmation that your Pokemon's never been in a ball. Do you think you can provide that?"

"Yeah, I think so."

I reached into my bag and shuffled the tangled mess of scraps that used to be Nil's Pokeball to my pocket for easy retrieval.

"How much for a trip to Almia?"

"It's pretty cheap, because not many people want to go there, besides sightseers. Should come out to about 200 dollars for a round trip? Also, are you going to bring the wagon with you?"

"Stranger things have happened."

I paid the man, and was directed towards a stern looking sailor, who further directed me inside a boat. As I was told, the inside was more or less filled solely with elderly folks, several of whom congratulated me for my keen appreciation of nature, and questioned me about the wagon I was dragging along with me.

The trip lasted through the night, during which I ended up falling asleep; my hand warm from resting on Nil. My dreams were fitful, painful, and confusing. Several times I woke up feeling exhausted and nauseated, as if I had run a marathon; but each time I managed to fall back asleep.

I woke up again an hour later, when a blaring voice jostled me awake. It was early morning, and I at least felt less tired, even if the nausea had not completely faded. Beside me, Nil had taken a more comfortable looking position within the wagon.

"Welcome to Almia, folks. Be sure to take out any Pokeballs on your possession, and give them to the border guards. Remember, capturing or harassing wild Pokemon is against the rules here, so keep your hands to yourselves. Thank you for travelling with Kyogre Nautical. Have a good day."


	12. Fitting In

We left the vessel in single file, and were one by one asked to proceed through a checkpoint, which was manned by two personnel. I watched a few people slowly walk through the gate, and a few were pulled aside to be questioned by the guards. Since I was near the back of the line, I instead decided to use my time to take a look at the area around me.

We had arrived at a port town of sorts. However, unlike Canalave, this city seemed to have much more greenery; the occasional tree jutted out from between the loosely arrayed buildings, which cast long shadows over the common hedges edging the roads. Although I could also see several taller buildings off into the distance, they were far outnumbered by the stout, humble buildings that dotted the surrounding area. Glancing further into the horizon, I could see the outline of a massive, thin tower to the north, where, at the top, a bright light shone, clearly visible from the ground.

* _You are aware that guy over there is calling you over, right?_ *

Much to my embarrassment, I had forgotten to take notice of the line I was standing in. In the time that I had zoned out, I had migrated to the front of the line, and the people behind me had begun to stare at me in annoyance. Sheepishly, I walked forward into the checkpoint. I hadn't even made it halfway there before I was pulled aside. One of the guards spoke, with practised words.

"Sorry kid, but no Pokeballs allowed within our country limits: we've got very strict rules here."

"Oh, right. Here's the only one I'm carrying."

I handed him the handful of scrap metal. The guard stared at me for several moments, as if unsure of whether it was a joke. He glanced quickly between the scrap and me, before calling over his partner. After a couple moments, he returned, seemingly having regained his cool.

"Well, okay then. Our metal detector there still picked up some other pieces of metal, that could've been Pokeballs, that you have in that bag. I'm going to have to search it, but it'll be easier if you just describe everything inside it."

As he went through my bag, I listed off all of the metal objects within. Badges. Exploration tools. Currency. Gigantic metal sphere. (I neglected to mention that it was gold) Nearly satisfied, he began to wave me along, before his eyes drifted, and fixed upon Nil, who had been standing innocently behind me the entire time.

"I have a question. How are you controlling that Umbreon without a Pokeball? She certainly seems well behaved."

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. She just started following me after her Pokeball broke. And also: that depends on your definition of well behaved. If you can't handle sarcasm, then you could say she's a menace."

* _HEY…_ *

"Huh. Technically, that's within the rules, if she is indeed free willed in joining you. The Rangers here do the same thing. Well... as long as you don't go stirring up trouble, you should be fine. Still, it's probably a good idea to go register her as a pet before you go anywhere; don't want to get separated and lose her."

"I'm sure there's no need."

"If you insist. Welcome to Almia."

And with that, we were through. We stopped by the nearest store to purchase a map of the region, and engaged in the mandatory witty banter that we always seemed to be unable to avoid.

"So, where to?"

* _I'd prefer if we just checked into a nice hotel and enjoyed THAT…_ *

"I know we came over here to relax, but I really want to at least check out one of the heritage sites here: supposedly, they're really well preserved."

I held the map in front of Nil as I pointed to each of the three sites. The first was supposedly within a castle, of all things, far to the north. The second, deep within a volcano. The third, nestled within the depths of a desert. Neither of these places seemed ideal to settle down in, but who was I to argue with the choices of ancient civilizations?

* _Are you sure that this is the best idea? What with me being in this wagon, and all._ *

"Well, as long as we stay out of trouble, we'll be fine."

I laughed a bit as the words of the border guard echoed in my head.

* _What?_ *

"Free willed, huh?"

* _I don't get it._ *

"If you hate doing this so much, why did you ever bother following me?"

* _Maybe because SOMEONE needs to be a voice of reason for you?_ *

"That's not a real answer."

* _I'm… I'm not entirely sure. It just feels like I'm supposed to. It's not like I'm being compelled to, but I just feel that it wouldn't be right abandoning you. Plus, without me, you wouldn't last a week._ *

We stood in silence for several moments, trying to make sense of it all. Finally, I broke the silence. That conversation was going nowhere, and we still needed to decide where exactly to go.

"How about the desert?"

* _Why that one?_ *

"The other two sites are extreme hot, and extreme cold, respectively. I don't feel the need to either freeze to death or melt. Not to mention I doubt that either of those places would be the level of wheelchair-accessibility that we'll need. From what I can tell, the only real hardship that we'd face getting there is the sun. Also, it's a big desert. Should give us some time to practice that thing we did over in Mount Coronet."

* _Running in blind terror? Because if that's the case, I'm not going._ *

"No, we've had plenty of practice at that. I'm pretty sure we qualify as world experts. I mean the other thing."

* _Being eaten alive by Zubats?_ *

I sighed, and stared at Nil in exasperation. She was giving me a wide-toothed grin that I had grown accustomed to.

"The telepathy thing."

* _Oh, that. You're right. It'd be pretty hard to find enough Zubats out in the desert, anyway._

"You know what I meant. Anyway, there's not very many people in the desert, so we should be able to get plenty of practice. I think it'd be plenty useful in case we ever need to split up."

As expected, several passer-by had stopped and begun giving us strange looks. I didn't blame them: for all they could tell, a strange foreign boy had been participating in half of an imaginary conversation with his Umbreon, which was currently sitting in a wagon, and staring sarcastically at the boy. Taking the entire scene in from a different perspective, would definitely seem strange, surreal almost.

"We should get going."

We returned to the shop to purchase a pair of canteens, a map of the desert, and several days worth of trail rations. While I was there, I purchased a sturdy pair of work gloves, hopefully enough to stop the searing sand from burning my skin. Finally, after we had double-checked our supplies, I boarded one of the small ferries departing to the desert. We arrived fifteen minutes later, to a different sort of town.

The clay houses here, all bleached beige by the sun fit in perfectly with the cracked sandstone roads. There was a bustling crowd moving about, with every person within dressed in loose clothing. All of them were visibly sweating from the heat. Ahead of our arrival zone, outlined by the thicker than normal density of people, was the town's main well. Somewhere to the side was a pair of sap-covered young men trying and failing to remove a cactus with a hatchet.

It didn't take a genius to decide buying some desert clothes right away was an extreme priority. I personally purchased a full set for myself, and after a bit of thought, a hat for Nil. Although she complained about how dumb she would look wearing a human hat, that sentiment was quickly repelled when I pointed skywards towards the blazing sun, and then back down at her. A quick change later, we were ready to enter the desert.

The desert garb I was draped in was itchy, but I knew that no matter how uncomfortable the clothing would be, a sunburn would be much worse. Nil had left the wagon, and was now standing beside me, face nearly completely obscured by the child-sized sombrero I had placed atop her head.

"Ready to go?"

* _I look ridiculous in this hat._ *

"Just be glad I didn't spring for the cowboy hat."

* _Let me rephrase that. Compared to anyone who isn't you, I look ridiculous._ *

I couldn't help but agree with Nil. While the desert clothes would certainly save me a lot of trouble later, they certainly did not do me any favors in the looks department. I had taken a look at myself in a mirror before I had left, and was greeted by a boy in what appeared to be an oversized robe. Whether it was due to a trick of the light or not, my eyes once again seemed different; much darker than I had expected. However, the overall effect when I looked in the mirror was quite funny: I slightly resembled the sort of wild man that would chase an explorer through a dark hallway, gibbering nonsense and brandishing a spear. All I needed was some face paint, and... the spear, and the picture would be complete.

"What, too 'Angry Savage' for you?"

* _Uhm… what._ *

"Never mind, you wouldn't get it."

* _I swear, I have no idea what you're talking about sometimes._ *

"Forget it."

* _Anyway, I think I'll try and walk as long as I can, until I need a rest..._ *

"Seems good. I'll keep the wagon, then."

And with that, we slowly walked towards the desert, fully expecting to enjoy the first day of our vacation.


	13. Necessity

**It's pretty obvious I don't own Pokemon.**

 **Also, thank you Guest for your review.**

* * *

The desert lived up to my expectations: blazing golden sand sprawled as far as the eye could see, punctuated by the occasional Cacnea standing motionless, waiting for prey. Above us, the sun consumed the sky, no clouds in sight, with only the occasional flying pokemon contesting the sun's dominion. The harsh sun clawed my small portions of uncovered skin; further cementing the purchase we made as worthwhile. We had a map that would direct us to the general area of the temple, but I wasn't in a rush to get started. Instead, I was focused on learning what exactly I could do. I turned to Nil, who had since begun to stretch to the best of her ability.

"Ready to get started?"

*Fine.*

We spent the next hour slowly moving through the desert. Eventually, Nil had regained enough confidence to try moving away, although we both did our best to always move towards the temple. Eventually, we began to ping each other with telepathy, before choosing to send individual words, and then entire sentences, while even if terse, still carried meaning. It didn't take long before we spotted a pattern. Interestingly, any message we sent was clear no matter how far we were from each other, and we both were unnaturally good at guessing details about each other's locations, when the conversation invariably devolved into "guess what I see". Several times we described each other's surrounding in perfect detail, as if we had seen from each other's eyes, if for but a moment. However, I seemed to have a harder time sending messages than Nil did. We had just recently regrouped, to make sure that Nil was doing okay.

"Well, that will certainly come in handy la-Gahhh..."

As I spoke, a gust of wind blew a gout of sand into my mouth. I could see Nil grin in the corner of my vision, but I was too busy spitting out the uncomfortably hot sand to berate her. She filled in the gap in what I was about to say.

*Telepathy from now on?*

*Urgh… Yeah.*

*I don't understand why we shouldn't just talk like this all the time.*

*Suppose it's just a habit. You spend your whole life talking one way. It's pretty hard to change. By the way, how bad is it to walk right now?*

*I'm able to go at about half-speed right now. I don't think I can go any faster, though.*

*That's good. But, weren't you pretty much immobile yesterday? What changed?*

*No clue, but no point in looking a gift Ponyta in the mouth..

Once again, we broke apart, and continued to relay thoughts and messages as we went. Although the landscape was certainly barren, I couldn't help but feel relaxed from the isolation: no trainers to stop me on the road, no dense under-brush was in need of being cut through, and no wild Pokemon attempted to jump us.

Of course, the third point remedied itself quickly as I stood on a raised bank of sand. It quickly collapsed, but not before a cracking noise filled the air, along with a sickening squelch. Moments later, the echoing cry of a Flygon emanated from somewhere behind me.

*What was that?* I heard Nil whisper.

*I think I stood in a Flygon nest.*

*Probably a good idea to start running then.*

I wasn't sure if the angry dragon would chase us, but I knew sticking around wasn't going to help the situation.

.

*I don't think they'll try and chase you, but it's probably a good idea to stay away for a bit. Can you meet me at the temple?*

*I'll be fine, but it'll be close.*

*Be careful.*

With that, a Flygon swooped into view, and began to chase me. I dropped the wagon, and began running, at full speed, towards my destination. Although the airborne dragon was definitely fast, my frantic dodging eventually dissuaded the creature from continuing its pursuit. It instead flew off into the distance, towards somewhere to the west.

The site came into view for me within 10 minutes of running. From a distance, it was easy to see what its creators intended: a gigantic sandstone structure of a Hippowdon stood out from the rest of the structure.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I reflected upon my situation: since when did I become such a good runner? Ten minutes of solid sprinting felt like nothing now. Perhaps all the running in panic was good for something, after all. I quickly approached the entrance, located within the maw of the structure, and contacted Nil.

*Well, we ended up doing what you wanted too.*

*If that was on purpose, I will never forgive you.*

*Don't worry, it wasn't. Where are you right now? I'm standing at the entrance. It's in the Hippowdon's mouth.*

*I should be there in a minute or two. I can't run, what with the MAJOR INJURY. By the way, I can hear something following me. Might want to get the door open.*

I turned towards Nil's location, intent on at least seeing what was chasing her. Unfortunately, there was a rather deep crevasse between the building and the other side; too deep to climb up and too wide to jump across.

*If you come in from that direction, there's a big pit in the way.*

*I don't have a choice; if I try and turn, they'll catch me for sure. Is there anything you can do?*

*... Nothing yet.*

*I can see the entrance now, I should be there very soon.*

True to her word, within moments Nil came into view, two Vibrava and a Flygon in hot pursuit. Thankfully, it appeared that none of the sand Pokemon were moving at their top speed, instead, they appeared to be more focused on hunting. Nil was visibly slumping as she limped forward as quickly as she could, but she was not slowing down. Interestingly, rather than chase Nil down, the approaching Pokemon slowed down as they approached the crevasse. Instead, they decided to fan out and move forward slowly, to block any escape.

*COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP HERE.*

Not knowing what else to do, I began sprinting towards the crevasse. Thoughts clouded my mind, most of fear, but a few stuck out as seeming almost alien. I had no idea what I was doing, but I tried everything, in a desperate hope of coming up with an idea, or a plan, or anything, that could work in this situation. The seconds seemed like hours as I carefully sifted through dozens of plans, before discarding them, one after another. All the while, a glowing image pulsed in my mind, showing in exact detail Nil's predicament.

I'd be unlikely to make the jump across the ravine, and even if I could, it'd be impossible to make the jump back carrying Nil. The image showed the Vibravas moving closer, jaws clicking. I imagined using the rope from my bag to pull Nil across. The Flygon landed, and began tramping forwards. I even imagined throwing a tool at one of the Pokemon, in hopes of repelling them all. By the fifth or sixth plan, the image had consumed my thoughts, rendering my ability to create further plans ineffective. I fell to a knee, mind full of despair, and hopelessness, as I saw the creatures charge, through my partner's vision.

The fear, hopelessness, and failure were immediately joined by a feeling of nausea and exhaustion. I could see Nil's vision shift slightly, and could tell that the approaching Pokemon had slowed, ever so slightly. Still, I lacked a way to get her across.

*What the hell did you just do?* I heard Nil whisper.

I opened my eyes. Ahead of me, was a swirling vortex. Its color was a deep blue-black hue, with flecks of blue and grey dancing around its surface, which formed an almost hypnotic pattern. It didn't seem solid: I could vaguely see through it, into the horizon beyond. It took me a moment to tear my attention away from it, there were more important things to worry about. Beside Nil, another vortex, identical to the one beside me sat on the sand, slightly indented into the ground. While the sudden appearance had likely startled the wild Pokemon, they'd likely get back their confidence soon; and then they would charge again. We didn't have much time. Even worse, the feelings of nausea and exhaustion were only steadily growing worse, as each moment passed.

*What the hell is this thing?* Nil asked

*I'm not sure. It doesn't seem solid though. Ugh… I feel so sick.* I replied, although I could feel that my message was weaker than before.

Our brief respite had worn out as quickly as it had appeared, as the Pokemon continued their diving charge, mandibles once again clicking angrily.

*What do you think it'll do if I jump into it?*

*I have no clue.*

*Screw it, anything's better than being eaten. Here I go! If I die, it's your goddamn fault!*

I watched Nil jump into the vortex, before vanishing from sight. Not a moment later, the vortex collapsed with a crack. The nausea reached a peak, but then steadily began lessening. Still, my concern for my partner led me to make sure she was all right, before even daring to worry about myself.

*Are you there?*

I felt a tug on the thick clothing I was wearing. Looking down, I saw Nil, looking more or less fine, although visibly pained due to her overworked legs. She was still leaning heavily, and had in fact started to lean against me, in hopes of taking some of her weight off of herself.

*What happened?* I asked, deeply relieved that she was in one piece.

*The vortex spat me out over here. How did you do that?*

Across the ridge, the Flygon had obviously seen its prey disappear, and had made a quick turn to begin flying back to its shattered nest. The Vibrava, on the other hand, lacked the maneuvering capabilities of their airborne cousin, and instead skidded over the edge, into the crevasse, where they plummeted into the depths with a solid thunk.

*Do what?*

*That swirly thing! It only showed up when you stopped.*

*I'm not sure. Can we please go inside? I think... I need to go take a rest.*

I clutched my head as I opened the door. I wasn't sure whether I had been the cause or not, but I had felt too sick to pursue the matter further. Right now, my goal was to get inside before I vomited.

*You don't look so good either.*

*Aren't you going to complain about how we're not going to get those Vibrava out of the ravine?*

*Forget them! They tried to eat me. I'm sure they can dig themselves out.*

It was at this time that an elderly man stepped out through the door I still held open.

"If you're just gonna stand there staring at your Umbreon, close the door! You're letting the whole desert in!."

"Oh. Oops. I think we should go inside, then."

The man let out a sigh, before closing the door behind him. Sheepishly, Nil and I exchanged glances, before we both slowly meandered into the temple.


	14. Normalcy

**It's 11:59 over here. SO it's technically still sunday! (Seriously though, I forgot to update.)**

* * *

The doorway lead to a small, narrow passage, which now served as a reception area.

Although the silk ropes leading to a relatively recently-constructed security kiosk did taint the image somewhat, the entryway into the outer sanctum of the ancient temple was still breathtaking. Rivers of flowing sand bordered the winding path towards the innards of the temple, made safe by tastefully constructed sandstone barriers.

I couldn't have helped feeling slightly impressed by how they had done it: the barriers were solid, natural sandstone, and judging by the flaws and imperfections, carved by hand. They even had carvings of ancient Pokemon lacing their surfaces, an obvious indicator of a craftsman who truly cared for his work.

The lines of people waiting to go inside, while long, moved quickly. It seemed the purpose of the kiosk was not to prevent entry or to collect a fee, but to rather prevent misguided individuals from grievously damaging the internal structure. Several times I witnessed tourists leaving deposit money into a hollow statue, most likely donations to pay for the maintaining of the exhibits.

Personally, however, my focus was finding the nearest bench to sit down in. Whatever that thing outside was, or why it existed, or even HOW it existed, it caused me to feel rather ill. I found a bench to sit on, and waited there for the dizziness to fade. I heard Nil shake in a futile attempt to remove the sand from herself. Offhandedly, I let loose a comment.

"What happened to your hat?"

*Fell off when I was trying to get away from the Vibravas. Probably still out in the desert somewhere.*

"And I left the wagon behind when the Flygon attacked me. Are you sure you'll be able to keep up?"

*Well, it'll suck, but I'm certain I'll be okay.*

I sighed. Although she probably didn't need either, I wasn't willing to do an uncovered trek back during the day. I retrieved one of my canteens, and drank half, before turning to Nil.

"We're going to have to leave at night, then. Want some water?"

*How exactly...?*

"Open your mouth."

I poured the canteen out over Nil's mouth. My disorientation, mixed with having never done this before, ensured that only about a third of the water actually got into her mouth, while the rest splattered ineffectively onto her or onto the ground. It was a waste of water, sure, but it was funny enough to be worth it.

*Well… I'm at least SLIGHTLY less thirsty. And a little wet.*

"It'll be fine. As long as you don't go jumping in the sand river, you should dry fast. With luck, it'll help cool you down too."

The water helped ease my headache somewhat. My head finally clear, I thought deeply about the impossibility of my situation. Although I had attributed the telepathy to Nil, this new experience was seemingly out of her control. For the first time, I questioned myself, rather than going with the flow These strange happenings only started after our experiences in the City of the Lost, and yet they were only getting more bizarre as the days carried on.

For the first time, I realized that the trap had done much more to me than simply cause harm. I didn't know what exactly it had done, but my fragile denial against the impossible had finally shattered. I was confused, to be certain, but the feeling of curiosity had all but drowned out any doubts I had gathered. Although I was more directly interested in what caused it, the exact extent of what I could do trailed only slightly behind.

Whether the overall effects of those ruins would be a boon or a bane, we would have to see. Until then, I'd need to spend some time practicing what I knew I could do, and continue hoping that anything new that popped up would be beneficial, rather than extremely dangerous. It was like reaching into darkness, hoping to grab something useful, rather than dangerous... Actually, it was exactly like reaching into darkness, in both meanings of the word.

*You okay there? You sorta zoned out.*

*Have you ever wondered how weird our journey's been?*

*Uh. what?*

*Me being able to understand you. Telepathy. And now that weird portal thing.*

*Yes, I guess. What are you trying to get at?*

*All of this started after that trap in the ruins. Do you have any clue what that might have done?*

*The trap?*

*Yeah, the trap that started all of this.*

Nil paused for several moments, before responding.

*What about those things that came out of the trap, after it fired?*

*. . . Huh. Maybe.*

Although her response seemed strange at first, second thoughts agreed. After the trap first fired, there were a pair of glowing spheres that appeared, and each of us took one.

*When I took mine, I felt refreshed.*

*Strange. When I took mine, I felt weaker than before. Still stronger than after the trap hit, but weaker nonetheless.*

*Just what the hell were those things?*

*No use wondering right now. Maybe you could go get examined by a doctor?*

*Heh, any doctor worth his salt would dismiss me as a crazy kid, and any doctor crazy enough to try would be too unreliable to trust the results of.*

*Then there's no use worrying about it. We should just enjoy the visit here, and when it's over, go back to town and pray we don't get attacked on the way back. Of course, knowing our luck, we'll probably end up angering Palkia, or something. You have a natural gift at getting us into dire straits.*

*You're right. we came all the way here, might as well enjoy it, right?*

For the next few hours, we wandered from exhibit to exhibit. Although the recorded histories showcased only the ancient activity of the desert region, they were nonetheless educational. Several of the areas, obviously once trapped, had become meeting areas or hubs, with the previously-hidden pits bridged, and slippery floors covered in packed sand.

The deepest part of the site was only accessible through a lift, a security precaution further reinforced by the uniformed personnel which oversaw the entry and exit of the chamber. Although puzzling at first, the explanation was clear moments later as a gigantic topaz, carved into a crescent moon, seated atop a pedestal came into view. The descriptive plaque nearby identified it as a replica. The description provided cited it as an ancient artefact, but it had been moved to a new permanent location.

I could only assume that the topaz was there solely to appease the locals, who would not have taken kindly to having their relic pilfered without a replacement.

Finally, after we had enough, we exited the site. To our luck, it was night time: brightly lit by a waning moon that would have paired perfectly with the topaz to form a whole. Under the light of the moon, we slowly trudged back through the desert, this time much more careful about where we stepped. Unfortunately, we never found where we had dropped the hat or the wagon: I could only assume that the desert sands would consume both over time. Finally, we reached the desert town and hitched a ride on one of the boats travelling to the mainland. Nil piped in, interested in what our next step was.

*So. Where are we planning on sleeping tonight?*

*I was thinking on a floor somewhere, as usual.*

*Really? Again? Even on vacation, you have standards that are way too low.*

*Heh. Then again, maybe not. How about today we go rent a room at a hotel.*

*Are you sure you even know how? That seems a bit out of your expertise.*

*What exactly IS my expertise?*

*Getting attacked by wildlife. Messing up. Impersonating the homeless.*

To my luck, we passed a rather full hotel which had a small room available for rent. Not caring about size, I quickly paid for a single night, checked in, and changed into my rarely-used nightclothes. I couldn't climb into the bed fast enough.

As I quickly drifted off to sleep, I had my final revelation of the day. Ever since I had left on my journey, four years ago, I hadn't slept in a room of my own, only in either a communal area, or more often, the closest place that was protected from rain. I waited for several moments, trying to relax, before I finally let my guard down, closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep.


	15. Hero of Circumstance

**I'd like to take the time to thank those who have Favorited or followed this story.**

 **By the way, what are your guy's favourite generation 1-4 starters? I'm just curious.**

 **And now for your regularly scheduled terrible-things-happening-to-people.**

* * *

I awoke to the smell of ashes, the feeling of immense heat, and the sound of screaming. Swearing heartily at my naivety, I catapulted myself out of the covers, grabbed my pack, and threw open the door. Outside, overworked sprinklers spun rapidly, trying in vain to combat the roaring blaze that had consumed a large portion of the hallway. The thin walls, while artistic, only stoked the fire further. Even worse, the choking smoke of the fire, mixed with the raining water, made vision all but impossible. The entryway had suffered the worst; the flames had snaked along the walls, and formed a fiery ring preventing access through it.

*Nil. I need you to make a move for the exit. I'll try to find another way out.*

*Since when are you a hero?*

*There's no way I'll be able to get out through that way; and I'm still carrying my machete and climbing pick. More importantly, you're still hurt. Besides, these walls are pretty thin: I should be able to cut my way out. I'll see if I can't get some people out too.*

*You could try that vortex thing again.*

*Yeah, it's worth a shot*

*Are you sure you'll be able to do it?*

*Even if I could get that to work again, I'm not sure if I can handle sending more than one person through it. Sending you through felt like being punched in the gut; I'm not sure whether I'd be able to sustain sending people through it.*

*See you outside then?*

*You had better be waiting.*

As Nil limped through the fire, I weighed my options. The hotel was several floors tall, but I knew I wasn't able to do anything about any of the higher floors. However, judging by the screaming coming from the rooms nearby, there were people still in the rooms around me.

When I had entered the hotel, I wasn't blind enough to not realise that the rooms were arranged in a certain way. The hallways formed a rectangle, with every room receiving a window leading outside. There were also a few inner rooms, which were much larger as a compensation. Assuming it'd be easier to lead the people in inner rooms to the outer rooms, and smash the walls for the outer rooms, I quickly began.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the first few doors I kicked in elicited quite a bit of panic. After all, a boy in his pajamas, wielding a machete in one hand and a pick in the other, breaking through your door in a burning hotel checked off all of the marks of being in a bad horror film. However, after I cut a hole through the thin outer walls with my climbing pick, they got the picture and fled through it. At about the fourth one, they were more relieved to have help arrive than to question why help arrived as it did.

The first few rooms were easy; while the flames were quite vigorously burning, they burned hot rather than fast, giving me plenty of time. The stink of burning gasoline occasionally wafted above the spoke, meaning that the original blaze was caused by a person, on purpose. I originally just felt good about saving people, but reality quickly broke me out of my reverie. I badly burned myself as I entered the sixth room, this one empty, and barely made it to the seventh. By the eighth, I had trapped myself; fire covering egress in every direction. This room revealed an elderly man and his wife, both clad in expensive jewelry, but more pressingly, revealed that this room was also ablaze.

Also to my luck, this room was an inner room; which meant there was no way of escaping. Gritting my teeth, I contacted Ni as I placed my ruined tools back into my backpack.

*Hey Nil…*

*You don't need to even finish that. You trapped yourself. Didn't you.*

*Fire on four walls, inner room, yeah.*

*Seems like you'll need to try that gate again, then, huh?*

*I guess. Last time I did it though, I had a direct line of sight to where it was happening.*

*Well, you better figure out how to get it to work from in there.*

Almost on cue, a chunk of the room collapsed, striking the television and showering the area in sparks. The elderly couple gave me a terrified look, but I held up my hand and sat. I would need to focus.

*Any clue what you did last time?*

*I was really focused on where you were and how to get there?*

*That could work. I'm in the park two houses down from the hotel. Seems like most of the people you got out have come here to watch the fire; a lot of them are crying.*

The center of the ceiling had begun to sag, causing the glass chandelier to nearly touch the mahogany dining table. All around me, the room blazed, but I was focused on Nil's position. Even as the chandelier gave way, I sat still, trying desperately to summon the portal. Only when I heard a gasp from the couple did I open my eyes.

The vortex had returned.

Wasting no time, I screamed at the panicking couple.

"THERE'S NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! JUST STEP INTO THE SWIRLY THING!"

Although they hesitated for a moment, a burning chair falling through the traumatized ceiling spurred them into action. I saw them exchange looks before passing through, and felt the exhuastion of keeping the gate open increase as they stepped through.

*Did you just send an old man and an old woman through?*

*Yeah. What's the situation there?*

*Well, those two are hugging, and there's a bunch of people staring at the vortex. About half of them are curious, a few are terrified, and a few children are lining up to throw rocks at it.*

A few rocks were emitted from the vortex, which clicked against the walls.

*Well, I'm going to try and go through.*

Giving one last look at the fiery deathtrap I was escaping, I stepped through. Interestingly, the feeling of stepping through reminded me of exiting Turnback Cave; with the sense of moving through impossible spaces returning, if only for a moment. As my vision returned, I let go, closing the gate behind me with a crack.

Several moments of stunned silence later, the crowd had begun quiet murmuring. Judging by the majority, they believed I had stolen some sort of advanced technology to do what I had done. Although many of them thanked me, more gave me strange, alienating looks. I turned towards the hotel; the blaze had begun being combated by several people riding Staraptors, each dumping water onto the roaring flames. Assisting them appeared to be every water Pokemon in the entire city, all working together in unison.

I was about to go find a place to change out of my charred bedclothes, when the squeal of braking wheels drew my attention behind me. Several men in uniforms piled out of a newly-arrived van. I cringed as I realized who they were. It seemed that even this region had an active criminal organization.

The burliest one addressed another, seemingly ignoring the crowd he had captured. His inferiors spread out, forming a ring that prevented escape.

"See Maurice? Told you that we'd get our marks either way."

Maurice, a long, thin man with a thinner moustache, replied in a nasally voice.

"But Ged, we could have lost the VIPs! I told you that was way too much fire!"

"Aw shaddap. What I'm more interested in, is how these folks here managed to get here before our boys could catch the ones we need."

The crowd instantly all turned towards me. I was still clutching my machete (Which at this point was more of a battered piece of metal from all of the doors I had to smash) but I froze as the brute's gaze focused on me.

"Hah, there's no way that this kid did anything. Throw 'im out."

A thug approached me, but was quickly repelled as I brandished my tool towards him.

"Well lookie here. We got ourselves a hero. Hows about this. We let you go, and ya don' go do anything to bother us from now on."

I opened my mouth to reply, but that thought was never finished.

*INCOMING BEHIND YOU*

I turned quickly, just in time to see a huge, meaty fist hurtle towards me. To winded to dodge, and too burned to react, I went down like a stone. As I faded to unconsciousness, I heard Ged address the crowd.

"If ya folks knows what's good for ya, ya just go home and forget about all this. Don't bother following us, ya won't find us. And if any of ya even dare calling the Rangers…"


	16. Trapped

**I'm having a bit of trouble getting back into the series... Losing my copies of my games has taken its toll on my attention to the fandom.**

 **I DO, however, have enough chapters done to last for a couple of months... Hopefully I'll be able to write a resolution before I run out of buffer.**

 **Regardless, here's your chapter.**

* * *

I awoke in a grey, windowless room, head pounding, and arms sorer than ever before. Through bleary eyes, I examined where exactly I had been taken. The room was square, and nearly featureless: it lacked windows, decorations or paint, and the only breach of the walls was a solid-looking door.

Inside the room with me were several of the people I had pulled from the blaze, along with several others I did not recognise; these were likely others who had escaped by themselves. Every single person within the room was chained to the ceiling by bindings welded to the roof. I personally had been given similar bindings, but being shorter than the others, I instead was hanging, with my arms supporting my entire weight. The elderly couple I had saved were among the prisoners, although they just seemed glad that I had woken up. How long exactly had I been unconscious?

*Are you there? Hey, are you awake yet? Wake up dammit! Don't die on me yet!*

Nil's voice filled my mind, full of panic and of desperation. The usual undertone of annoyance was still there, but definitely less than what I was used to.

*Nil! Where are you? How long was I out for?*

*Good. They took you about three or four hours ago.*

*That's.. really not good. But where are you?*

*No, I'm back at the woods. When they knocked you down, I managed to escape.*

*Why didn't you do something to get me out of there?*

*They had handguns, if you didn't notice. Every single one of them did. And I doubt I'd be able to do anything, being in the shape I am.*

I hadn't. I was too tired from opening the gate to pay close attention to what the thugs were carrying. And I could have paid the price. It was lucky that I was simply trapped, rather than sitting within a shallow grave, a bullet lodged in my head. Nil continued probing for information.

*What's the situation like, over there?*

*I'm hanging from the ceiling, and can't feel my arms. There don't appear to be any cameras, but there's no way I'm going to be able to get out of here.*

*Can't you just warp out?*

*I'm not sure I'd be able to get out all the way, what with the chains holding me in place. And since I have no clue where I am, if I leave it's not likely I'll be able to find my way back. Not to mention that I don't trust myself to warp that far: I could end up inside a tree or underwater, or something.*

*I see. Want me to go try and get help?*

*Please do.*

There was a long pause. I was left alone with my thoughts, before one of the other hostages, a middle-aged woman with glasses and brown hair decided to strike up a conversation. I recognised her from the fourth room, she and her two children had been quick to flee once I opened an escape.

"Did they take your portal thing?"

"I don't see any way I could use it, even if they did. We're all chained here, so we can't go through."

There was silence for a moment as the woman thought.

"You mean you still have it?"

"I'm not entirely sure if they're able to take it."

"Are you able to aim it?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happens if, for instance, you aimed it at those chains holding you up?"

At first I dismissed that as an impossibility. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized impossibility no longer existed for me.

"I'll give it a shot, I suppose."

Focusing directly on the chains above me proved a little harder, but I wasn't going anywhere. Several failed tries left me more and more frustrated. As I finally succeeded, it snapped open for a moment, before dropping me hard onto the floor. It closed as I impacted the hard concrete, my concentration immediately shattered..

I spat out some blood and lifted myself up. The rest of the hostages turned towards the noise, noticed me free, and began murmuring once more.

"Do you think you'd be able to use that to get us all out from here?"

"Probably not. It takes a lot of energy to send a person through, and I don't think it'd be right leaving people here. Bringing someone in here won't work either, because unless we're able to pick open the door, everyone in here would know if we tried to escape."

"Do you think you can at least cut all our chains too?"

"I would, but I don't trust myself to aim the portal at other people with that much precision. If it cut chains, it can certainly cut flesh. You saw how long it took for me to cut myself down."

"So what do we do then?"

Like an angel of coincidence, Nil's message reached my mind.

*I found this building with a bunch of humans entering it. From what I can hear, the humans are going in and complaining about a "kidnapping". Seem familiar?*

*That's great! See if you can't get help.*

The woman gave me a look of confusion as she saw my face light up.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Help should be on its way soon!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"My friend told me."

The woman snickered a bit.

"You're telling me, that not only did they miss your portal device, but they also missed your communicator? Goddamn idiots! Are you able to send messages back?"

"Yes. And as I said, they're probably not able to take them from me."

"They're implanted?"

"Something like that."

*Uh, Vis? In case you don't remember; I'm a pokemon. Humans can't understand me. How exactly do you want me to talk to the people in there?*

"GODDAMMIT!"

The woman flinched at my sudden, seemingly unprovoked outburst.

"What's wrong?"

"This is going to be a bit more painful than I expected. It seems that it'll be quite hard for my partner to get help."

"Why's that?"

"Because she's a pokemon."

Once again, the woman thought for a moment, and replied.

"Ask her if she sees a device shaped like a hatchet, flat but with a piece sticking out."

Slightly confused, I began relaying messages.

*Yeah, there's one lying on this counter here.*

"If she sees one, tell her to grab it, and try and portal it into here."

There was a slight pause, and then panic from Nil.

*OKAY NOW THE HUMANS ARE CHASING ME.*

*Get to safety, I'll try and open a portal when you stop.*

It was quite fortunate that Umbreons are very good at hiding.

*Okay, I'm ready. Open it, I'll throw it in.*

This gate proved easier than the others, as this time I was transporting a small device, rather than a living person. Moments later, I held a communicator of some kind, and judging by the rapid vibration and frantic chimes, the owner was desperate to get it back.

After throwing a glance towards the people watching me, I lowered the volume to the minimum, and turned it on. The voice, even diminished to the least possible, was still clearly audible.

"SO YOU FINALLY ****ING PICK UP, HUH? WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT GODDAMN PURPOSE DO YOU HAVE FOR STEALING RANGER UNION PROPERTY?"

The voice paused for a moment as if another conversation was happening. I turned the volume back up, to listen to the background conversation.

"What do you goddamn mean 'The location tracker jumped'?"

"I mean that two seconds ago it was still in Vientown, and now it's over here."

"That's impossible. I just watched an Umbreon limp off carrying it."

"In all my years, these tracking devices have never failed. Either a flying pokemon picked it up and flew over, or something else happened."

I turned the volume back down as I prepared for the yelling to begin again. Luckily, the voice was much calmer this time; I could barely hear the first few sentences he spoke as I recalibrated the volume.

"You better have a good reason for this."

"First, I'd like to know who this is."

The voice sighed, and identified himself as Wayne, the current leader of the Vientown ranger auxiliary corps, and that I had indeed stolen his newest recruit's communication unit.

I quickly explained the situation, stopping briefly to refute sceptical claims, before finally waved off and told to find an adult.

Shrugging, I moved towards the woman who had helped before, and held the communicator near her mouth. I explained the ranger's unwillingness to listen to her, to which she agreed to help prove my point.

"This is Karen Shelby, Pokebiologist working for the Ranger Union. Everything that boy said is true. We're currently held in an unknown area, and likely being held hostage for ransom."

The ranger's voice softened as he heard an adult. I couldn't help but be slightly offended at not being believed.

"So this kid's "portal" joke is a real thing?"

"I saw it in action, and it's how he managed to get your communicator here. According to him, he's got some of communicator with a pokemon as well."

"Ignoring the obvious impossibility of that, these men holding you; do they look like a member of a criminal gang?"

"I wish. They look like terrorists. I'm almost entirely sure they're trying to ransom us off."

"We'll send a dispatch team to get you out, as soon as we can. However, you'll need to sit pretty; according to our scanners, you're somewhere out in the ocean; probably on one of the old abandoned oil platforms we keep finding everywhere."

"Thank you. Please come soon."

With that, Karen rolled her eyes, and slumped back into a more comfortable position.

*So uhh… A couple of humans found me.*

*What are they doing?*

*Seems like they're using these top things to try and circle around me.*

*Do they look dangerous?*

*No, not really. They're getting mad when I walk into the top though. It's funny.*

Although I felt a weird tingling, I ignored it. There were more pressing matters at hand.

*Doesn't seem like they're trying to hurt me anyhow, and judging by how they're acting, they're getting quite frustrated by my lack of reaction.*

*So what are you going to do?*

*I think I'm going to have a nap.*

And then I was left in silence, waiting desperately for help to arrive.


	17. Hero of Desperation

**Merry Christmas Everyone.**

 **And thank you for everyone who has favorited, followed, or reviewed this story. It really means a lot to me.**

* * *

It was no surprise when the sound of a person approaching the door reached my ears. It was obvious that they would check on the prisoners: after all, we had escaped them once before. While the rest of the captives were still chained up, I was not; and due to how exactly they had chained me up, it would be impossible to fake still being trapped. I would have to improvise. I had nothing on my person, besides the metal rings that had before held me up, and about an inch of chain trailing off of each of the rings. Shuddering about how badly this could go wrong, I took up position beside the door, whispered to the other captives to be silent, and readied myself for the only option remaining.

The door swung inwards, and a guard walked through. He was not as tough-looking as the group that had captured us, obviously a rookie rather than a veteran. He had a key ring in one hand, a knife in its sheathe on one leg, and a holstered gun on the other. Panicking, I contacted Nil for assistance.

*Nil! Are you there?*

*Yeah. I'm here. What's wrong?*

*There's a guard coming into the room. I cut myself loose, so if he finds me, I'm done for.*

*And? What are you asking?*

*What should I do? I can't sneak away: there's no way I can get out of here in time.*

The guard was talking to himself as he strolled towards the back of the room. I couldn't see his eyes from where I was standing, but from the way he walked, I could tell he was exhausted.

"I can't believe I have to go check on the prisoners... We've went overboard, they're in a locked, sealed room. Hell, the kid that tried to get away last time is suspended, for crying out loud. This should be Larry's duty, he's in charge of feeding them..."

*Do you still have anything?*

*Nothing besides the manacles that were hanging me up…*

*There. That's your answer.*

The novice began each of the prisoners, starting from the side opposite from where I was before.

*What?*

*Use the manacles to knock him unconcious.*

*You mean attack him?*

"Let's see. You folks enjoying your stay? Anything I can ask the kitchen to go get you? The sky, and about ten dollars, is the limit."

*What's the big deal? You ask me to fight other Pokemon all the time, and I don't whine about it.*

*That's different! Pokemon can survive things humans can't! This guy has a gun!*

*Really? If humans are weak, how are you still alive?*

*It just seems so risky. What if I screw up?*

*Then don't screw up.*

He paused for a moment as he spied my chains, which had been hanging free ever since I cut myself loose.

I shook my head. Nil was right; there was no way out of it besides to attack the guy. However, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get a good shot if I just swung at him.

"What the hell? How did that happen? And where the hell is the kid?"

I stood up as quietly as I could, and took up a stance to strike. The other prisoners had begun giving me a wide-eyed look of confusion.

"The hell did this happen? These chains are solid metal! This cut is clean! You there! Scientist chick! Did you see where the kid went? How the hell … Oh. Oh no."

As soon as I saw him begin to reach for his gun, I threw my leg around his, before quickly pulling back. The guard stumbled forward, thrown off balance by my sweep, and impacted the wall with a thunk. Following up my initial move, I clubbed him on the back of the head with the shackles, just to make sure he was unconscious.

Although I expected my jumping of the guard to make a lot of noise, the metal walls quickly devoured any dissonance. It seemed that this room was soundproof.

Wasting no time, I searched the guard, quickly seizing his keys, his weaponry, and his wallet. I pocketed the wallet as I began unlocking the prisoners from their bindings. The elderly man's arms remained up even after being released; he blamed his old joints having locked.

"What purpose does a soundproof, metal room with chains attached to the ceiling serve?"

Karen snickered a bit, and replied quietly.

"Seems whoever lived here was into very strange things."

Unsure of what she meant, I instead focused on what we had to do.

"Assuming the Rangers are here soon, we should be safe. Can some of you watch that guy? I knocked him out, but I'm not sure he won't come to."

Someone else muttered quietly as I continued my train of thought.

"We should be safe for ten or so minutes, until they send another guard to check on this one. I get a feeling, however, that the next one won't be as inattentive as the last."

Karen grabbed the communicator as some of the captives helped me gag the guard. As we chained him up to one of the sets of manacles, Nil checked in.

*I'm assuming you're not dead?*

*Not yet, that's for sure.*

*Keep it that way.*

*I'll try, but no guarantees.*

As we finished restraining him, the communicator began ringing once more.

"Uh, hello? This is Wayne. We've run into a slight hitch."

Those were not words that any of us wanted to hear. Karen, who assumed that another person talking would raise a flag, responded.

"What kind of 'hitch' are we talking about, here?"

"We're at the site, but it's sealed up tight. You're in one of the old oil rigs, back when they made them to last. Anyway, it seems your captors have closed the main gate, and if this rig is anything like the others we've seen, that's the only way in. That's not the problem, however. The problem is that these gates are thick: an Electrode going off right beside it wouldn't even scratch it. We've got hackers set up to try to open it, but it looks like they killed the power from the inside. What is your situation down there?"

A palpable feeling of panic had descended upon the room, but we held our composure. Karen responded, voice only slightly wavering.

"Everyone down here is free, and we've got a guard gagged up and restrained down here too. We have his key, but are planning on staying in here in hopes of being unnoticed."

"How the hell did that happen… Let me guess… The kid?"

"Tripped the guard, then whacked him with a manacle. Judging from the way the guard's eyes looked, he was either stoned, or really out of it."

"At least I can believe that."

I butted in.

"So you're saying they killed the power from inside the building?"

"From the looks of it, they only took down the outer access pad. I'd assume they still have power elsewhere, otherwise there wouldn't be lights on inside."

Karen handed me the communicator, having long since begun assuming I had a plan.

"What if I snuck up there and opened the door from the inside?"

The ranger laughed dismissively at me.

"Hah, kid, you got a sense of humor. You got no training, no Pokemon, and no backup, and you seriously think that you can make it to the keypad?"

"Yes."

The laughter stopped.

"You are aware, that if you screw up, you're dead, right?"

"If I don't try, we're dead anyway."

A short pause later, the one of the communicator's buttons began blinking.

"Alright kid. I'll let you take a shot at it. We've sent a map of the building to that comm unit, with the main entrance highlighted. It's only two floors above you, but it's likely to be heavily guarded. I'm not sure if they have Minremo tech, but even if they don't, there'll probably be wild Pokemon roaming the halls anyway."

He continued: "Despite what you think, the goal here isn't to stop them, it's to get the gate open so we can extract you and the rest of the hostages. Trying to pick a fight is a very, very bad idea. These stupid pricks have gotten braver lately, they must be trying to fill the power vacuum that formed when we took down Dim Sun. Just be careful out there; this place is a labyrinth. Also: the code for the door release is six-three-nine."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. If there's one thing I know how to navigate, it's a labyrinth."

"I'm not even going to try to make sense of what you just said. Wayne out."

I took a deep breath, before handing the knife to Karen. I wouldn't need it, but I knew that even if it was immoral, having some sort of weapon in the room would be helpful if a patrol came knocking. Hoping that would not happen, I stepped out into the hallway.

Escaping from criminals intent on murder? Why did this feel familiar? As I began my escape, I swore quietly to myself.

"There better not be any ****ing Zubats in this building."

The map pinpointed my current position as being in the basement. Tracing a path through the floors, I felt my heart sink. In order to reach the entrance, I'd need to sneak through four rooms at least, more if I had to take a detour.

The basement level was quite sparse, having only three doors leading out from it, along with stairs leading upwards. Snoring echoed from one of the rooms, warning me of possible reinforcements appearing from below. I ascended the stairs as quietly as I could, before pressing my ear against the door to listen.

After several moments of silence, I carefully opened the door, revealing a storage room of sorts, with wooden crates littering the area haphazardly. Checking a few of the crates revealed them as empty, save for one which housed a family of Ratata. I had nearly made it to one of the doors when loud, clumsy footsteps spurred me into action. Picking a crate at random, I threw myself inside, praying that it would be unoccupied. Through the thin walls of the dusty crate, I heard a familiar voice.

"So yer saying that there's rangers outside?"

"Yeah, boss. No clue how they got here, there's no way they could have found us this fast. Even if one of the witnesses told them, this place is hidden!"

"Obviously not hidden enough!"

The steps came closer. I held my breath, afraid of revealing any hint of my presence. An itch had formed where my skin contacted the crate, but I ignored it.

"Jord, ya really need to do something about them crates. Why do we even have em?"

A loud thud followed by several shrieks came from somewhere to my left. I assumed he had kicked the crate full of Ratata.

"There's goddamn rats in these boxes, man. Get ya act together!"

"But boss! There's rangers outside!"

"If these floors can handle supporting your fat ***, then they can survive some rangers trying to break in. I'm not worried."

I continued sitting motionless until I was sure that they had left. The itchiness had increased, but I still did my best to ignore it: there were still more pressing matters at hand. Carefully stepping out, I checked the map once more. Mentally crossing out the direction they had departed towards, I continued my egress.

I continued moving as fast as I could without making noise, avoiding incoming patrols whenever I could, and hiding if that was impossible. Several times I encountered wild Pokemon roaming the halls, but luckily they were more interested in keeping their territory than directly attacking, and thus ignored me. I couldn't help but imagine what would have happened if I had crossed the area with Nil beside me; another intruding Pokemon would have whipped the wild Pokemon into a frenzy. Soon, I was but a room away from the exit. Unfortunately, this room happened to be their control center.

The control room was a multi-level checkpoint, with metal stairs connecting the floor I was on with the floor below it. The catwalk spanning the distance was mesh, preventing any chance of simply crawling across. As I crept to a corner of the room and peered down, I revealed three of the thugs: two were focused on the metal stairs, and were pointing their handguns at the entry point, fingers on the trigger. The third's eyes were glued to a monitor, which I could only assume was linked to outside.

I tried several times to figure out how to sneak past the hostiles within the room, before I just went with the simple, and most elegant solution: opening a gate out of sight, on the other side. Another few minutes later, I stood by the door to outside. After another minute or so of searching, I found the emergency manual control, and began the door's opening routine.

Sunlight streamed inside as the solid steel door slowly creaked open.


	18. Bewilderment

**Did everyone have a good new-years eve? Good, good.**

* * *

How good it felt back then. To be a hero. To make a difference. It only made the pain which came later feel that much worse. Of course, I had to ask Nil something before we continued. Something much less heroic.

*So while I was off playing hero, what were you doing?*

*Remember those Rangers that came to collect me?*

*Yes, what about them?*

*I followed them around, running into their top whenever they tried to use it. They got quite upset.*

*Upset is a bit of an understatement. From what I heard later, you made one of them quit in frustration.*

*Haha… Really?*

*Yes, really. It really doesn't surprise me that this is one of the few things you remember about your past. Always determined to make an *** out of yourself.*

There is a short, and extremely awkward pause.

* . . . This year was the first time in sixty years I have laughed.* Nil admits.

*Really?*

*Everything just felt so hollow… It was impossible to truly care.*

*And yet you kept going?*

*We both felt like we had a role to play, and we still do.*

*Perhaps some day we will be remembered as heroes, or at least, for history to truly understand what we were.*

*We can only hope.*

As soon as the door was even half open, I ducked through, determined to get out of the line of fire. Outside, several people in red uniforms crouched behind metal barrels, all holding communicators similar to mine. I could only assume that they were Rangers, but right then, my priority was to get the heck away from the door.

Looking up, I saw several Staraptors descending, each holding a corner of a net wrapped around a Rhyhorn. They gingerly lowered it to the ground, dropped the net, and then flew away into the distance. One of the rangers left cover to free the Rhyhorn, and to whisper something into its ear, before gesturing to his fellows.

"GO!"

The Rhyhorn, having heard the command, charged forwards, through the now-open gate. I heard panicked cries from within, intermixed with the sounds of gunfire, and of bullets bouncing off of the Rhyhorn's shell. Soon afterwards I heard a massive thud, most likely the Rhyhorn falling off the top level.

Two of the three rangers behind the barrels got up to follow the Rhyhorn in, determined to seize the opportunity before the enemy could regroup.

The Ranger that was left behind pulled out his communicator, and began speaking.

"Command? Come in command. We're in. Get Wayne's contact online, congratulations are in order."

The device I was holding began vibrating, and deciding to have some fun, I walked over towards the now-distracted ranger. I didn't bother turning on my communicator, instead pretending that I had patched in. The entire time, I held my hand in front of my mouth, to sound slightly muffled.

"Hello?" I replied, doing my best to stifle laughter.

"I'm not sure how you did it, but the door's open. Do you need someone to come get you out?"

"Oh, I'm sure that I'll be fine."

"Why's that? It's about to get real hot in there!"

I tapped the ranger on the shoulder. He jumped in surprise, and dropped his communicator.

"Whaa? You're just a kid! You mean Wayne wasn't joking?"

Now closer to the ranger, I got a better look at him. He was middle aged, with blonde hair and green eyes. On his lapel, a badge signaling his authority sat, an onyx ringed with topaz, moonstone, and ruby. Engraved across its surface was the word "Vatonage".

"I get that a lot."

Obviously still shaken from being snuck up on, the ranger bent down to retrieve his dropped device. He fiddled with the device for several moments, before the voices on the other end were clearly audible.

"Samuel! Come in! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, command. Wayne's contact snuck up behind me and startled me, that's all."

"So this kid managed to sneak up on you?"

"Well, it does explain how he got out, doesn't it."

Not wanting to leave the others waiting, I butted in once more.

"I not trying to be rude, but the hostages are all free downstairs, in the basement level. They were armed with a handgun before I left, and they might be a bit high strung, so you MIGHT want to be careful down there. It's probably a good idea to get them to safety before you clear everyone out, right?"

Samuel nodded his head and pressed another button.

"Kim! This is Samuel. You have a new objective: you have to extract the hostages from the basement level. Be careful! They're armed; our contact gave them a gun before opening the door for us. Samuel out!"

"I don't think we could've pulled this off without you, kid! Now that I think about it… What is your name? It feels sorta unprofessional to just refer to you as 'Kid'."

"My name is … "

I had forgotten my old name, the name I was born with. I didn't even remember what my family's name was, only the name I had created for myself, several months ago.

"My name is Vis."

"That's a bit of a strange name. Is it foreign?"

"No, not really. I made up the name when I made another go at the Sinnoh Pokemon League."

"One second, please."

He reactivated his device.

"Come in command, do you read me?"

"Yes Samuel, we read you."

"Wayne's contact just gave me more details about himself. Get this: he's a thirteen-year-old pokemon trainer with a made-up name from Sinnoh! And even better: he snuck through the entire base only wearing his pajamas!"

There was a chorus of laughter from the other side. One of the voices on the other side spoke, choking back laughter as he did.

"Holy crap, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

"Samuel out, we should be back in an hour or so. We'll bring the contact in with us on the way back."

He closed his device and turned back to me. He was still smiling.

"Wow, a Pokemon Trainer that actually does something! Usually they're pretty useless without their Pokemon. So, Vis, if you're a Pokemon Trainer, how many pokemon do you own? Twenty? Thirty? I assume they took all of them when you came through the borders."

Although I knew what he was saying was offensive, I knew within myself that what he said was true. Most trainers were single-minded, determined to progress forward, while completely ignoring the twists and turns life tried to throw at them.

"One."

"Just one?"

"Never needed more than one."

"Did the border guards take it, or?"

*Nil, you still there?*

*Not right now, I'm busy.*

"No, she's definitely here. She was with me when we walked through the border."

Samuel raised an eyebrow.

"Do you mind bringing her out so I can take a look?"

"Sure. Lemme just check to see if she's busy."

*Nil, I'm going to open a gate at your position to me.*

*Everything's fine?*

*No, I'm all done here. This ranger guy is asking to meet you. He's wearing a fancy badge, and everything.*

*Fine… I'll leave these two alone.*

I started concentrating on Nil's current position. According to what I could tell, she was in the center of a city, beside a pair of young-looking rangers who were glaring at her in anger, mouths open and sprouting incomprehensible fury. I shrugged my shoulders as I began to open the gate. Samuel, who I could still feel the gaze of, since begun giving me the ever-present look of confusion that followed my presence everywhere.

"Are you all right kid?"

Through Nil's eyes, I could almost see the rookie rangers jump back in terror when the gate finally opened, almost identically to what Samuel did when the other end appeared before me. Nil appeared in front of me not a moment later, giving me a look of mischief. The gate snapped shut behind her. Rather than give away her injury, Nil chose to instead stand firm.

*A good enough entrance for you, Human? Also: you wouldn't BELIEVE the mouth of your rookies!*

Samuel was not impressed. Instead, he was visibly shaken.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

"Well, she was still in Vientown…"

"No, I mean that vortex thing!"

"Oh that!" I said dismissively. I personally had no clue how it worked either, which was a fact I'd rather pretend to be unimportant, rather than me just being clueless. "That's just a trick we picked up over our travels."

"If you don't mind, after we're done here, can you and your Umbreon come with us back to our labs? I really want to know what the hell that was."

"That would be great! I've been hoping to have it examined myself."

I removed the communicator I had stolen earlier from my pocket.

"Also, Wayne probably wants this back. Nil here borrowed it for me."

Visibly stifling questions, Samuel accepted the device, and stored it in his bag for later. Still, I decided I might as well ask why criminals always seemed to carry around guns nowadays, if Pokemon can simply shrug them off.

"Why is it that criminals nowadays always carry around weapons? I heard a long time ago they just used Pokemon to do their dirty work."

"I'm assuming you've run into criminals before, then? Anyway, they only started carrying around weapons as a method of dealing with people, before they can call out a Pokemon. While a Pokemon is often stronger than any weapon they can make, they take time to take people down. In addition, those handguns can, and often do take down weaker Pokemon. Lastly, guns have a much longer range than even the best-trained Pokemon, meaning that even if a trainer's able to deploy a durable Pokemon to defend themselves, if they're not properly hidden, they can be picked off. Luckily, it takes special weaponry to even scratch rock or steel pokemon, not to mention ghost pokemon, who just laugh at them. We've started using Rhyhorns as a distraction so we can mop up without any chance of injury."

He continued, "If your Umbreon takes a bullet, it's in rehab for a month. If a Rhyhorn takes a bullet, it just gets angry. But if a human takes a bullet… They could be out for a year. I suppose that's why they're using weapons now: it's far too easy to counter any Pokemon they have with another, but any ranger they put out of commission just makes it easier for them on their next operation. I'm not sure about the exact details in other places, but there's another factor here: since Pokeballs are forbidden here, they've been falling back on firearms entirely."

"Actually, Nil here's sort of in rehab right now anyway. Healing from being crushed by a Steelix."

"I thought they used the energy conversion system over there? If there is only one thing about Pokeballs we do appreciate, it be how they manage to accelerate the healing process immensely."

"Nil doesn't have a Pokeball. Hers exploded when I tried to recall her over a month ago."

"So you're telling me, your Pokemon is following you around without you needing to control her?"

*I'm more in charge of keeping this idiot from killing himself.*

"It's a little more like we don't really have a reason to split up. Plus, I doubt I could control her even with a Pokeball… She didn't listen back then, either. Also: she says the rookies you sent to capture her have a bit of a temper."

"Vis, I have no clue what the heck to say. All I know, is that the sooner we get you the lab, the sooner I'll be able to ask questions that make any sort of sense. You're saying you can understand your Umbreon, too? Would you be able to understand, for instance…" He pointed skywards towards a passing Wingull, "That Wingull there?"

"I've tried. I think I only understand Nil, not other Pokemon."

*Not like they ever have anything interesting to say either. Always either 'KILL' or 'EAT' or 'HUNGRY', or in the case of trainer Pokemon, 'Yes? Yes. Yes? Yes!' I swear, it's like they've been lobotomised.*

"Well, no point just crouching down here, I'm going to go sit down somewhere while you guys clear them out. When we head out though, I need to take a shower. Whatever was down there made me super itchy."

*Speaking of which, I'm starting to feel it as well.*

As I searched for a suitable spot on the deck, I heard Samuel's final exclamation of disbelief.

"What the hell?..."


	19. The Truth

**Well! Good news is, I've managed to get back into the story somewhat: with luck, I'll be able to rewrite the bits where I write myself into a corner, and get the entire thing done before I run out of buffer.**

* * *

By the time that I had finally found an appropriate spot on the rig's deck, my adrenaline high had long since ended. It was then that I was able to truly understand what I had done.

Once again, I had evaded certain death. However, unlike before, this time I had escaped completely unscathed: I had even managed to put on a little show for the ranger after I snuck out of the hornet's nest. For a moment I questioned the intelligence of flaunting my ability, but quickly pushed the minor doubts aside. I now had an excuse to get examined by real doctors, which I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

I sat down upon the metal, and watched the clouds roll lazily by. My spot was just beside the water, and was kept cool by one of the stacks of crates which haphazardly littered the surrounding area. The ocean's waves crashed against the rig, slightly dampening my burned, torn pajamas. Nil done her best to sit down nearby, in the shade of a singular crate.

It was all perfect. Nothing had gone wrong, and the day was beautiful.

I wasn't used to that.

"Knowing my luck… Everyone downstairs is dead."

*Uhh… What?*

"Everything went perfect. Something always, ALWAYS goes wrong."

*Wait, so you're telling me… That you can see patterns?*

"Nil, I even tried to warp you in from Pueltown, which is pretty much an entire continent away, and it worked fine."

Nil paused for a moment, before going ballistic.

*You're telling me, that you tried to open a gate, an entire continent away, AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME? That could have very well ended me right there. I thought you were on a boat somewhere nearby!*

"I'm just saying, I'm not used to flawless victory."

*Or even any victory, if your previous performances are of any indication.*

A flock of Wingull passed directly overhead. Moments later, I saw a white dot become larger and larger. Assuming that there was no escaping my constant, terrible luck, I simply closed my mouth, and talked to Nil telepathically instead.

*Ahh… Here comes my luck now.*

*What? What's wrong? Please don't tell me something's about to go wrong.*

The pellet quickly descended, before colliding with the ocean, where it was swallowed by the blue depths.

*Nothing, never mind.*

*Don't say that. It makes me nervous that something terrible is going to happen.*

I didn't communicate it, but I could only assume that fate was just toying with me now.

I continued to watch the clouds roll lazily by, before the sound of footsteps drew my attention back towards the entryway. I wasn't sure whether they were friend or foe, but either way, going to check would be a good idea.

*Nil, just for the record, right now are you able to take down a surprised human?*

*Probably, as long as they don't get a weapon out in time.*

*Good to know.*

I slowly picked myself up off of the metal floor. I caught a glimpse at my arm as I did so: It was quite red and blotchy where I had scratched it. The burn, that I had acquired there three hours ago, was completely gone. Nil was also scratching herself, but could not reach many places: her leg still only bent very little. It itched like crazy, and I couldn't help but voice my annoyance.

*I'm not sure what I picked up, but it's worse than poison ivy!*

*Rather than complaining, you could scratch me, instead. I can't reach anything on my back.*.

I spent a minute or so scratching Nil's itches, but kept my eyes focused on the door. Eventually, the people who had attracted my attention stepped out. It was one of the rangers. Moments later, my fellow prisoners flooded out after her, and were lead behind a large box. I lifted myself up, and went to go greet them.

*The scratching doesn't help the itch, but it just seems to get worse when you don't.* Nil complained as I turned away.

*Maybe they have creams or something at their base?*

*They better, otherwise I'll have to go steal some myself.* Although there was a bit of a joking tone to that, I couldn't help but agree.

I walked across the deck, with Nil slowly following me. I did my best to conceal the blotches; I wasn't keen on being shooed off for appearing to be contagious.

Karen greeted me as we came within a stone's throw of the box.

"Good job getting us out!"

"Thanks. Did they say how the everyone was going to get off of here?"

"Well… They said that they were calling in a boat to get everyone here back onto the mainland, and another to bring the crooks they captured to an interrogation area.. However, I'm hitching a ride on a Staraptor with the rangers: my vacation's been cut short, and I'm needed back at the Union. That anxious to leave, huh?"

"No, not really. They've asked for me to come with them to the Union. I'm not sure whether it's for a reward, or for something else, but one of the rangers asked me to go get examined in one of the labs."

Karen laughed as I told her the news.

"And it just so happens that I'm one of the main scientists over at the biolabs! I was just taking a vacation after making a major breakthrough with advanced prosthetics, before… well, you were there, you know what happened."

"Well, I doubt we're going to head out before the rest of the people here get to safety. Now, I suppose all we can do is wait."

Soon enough, a pair of boats approached the base. They came to a halt several feet away from the rig, dropped anchor, and extended small bridges across the remaining gap. A sailor exited the left boat, crossed the walkway, and began leading everyone else towards safety. Several thanked me as they left, but I could tell that they were all simply glad for the ordeal to be over. As I watched the final captive reach safety, I turned back towards the entrance. I wasn't sure if they still required help, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

The rangers were just finishing up as I approached the main entrance once more. The other ranger was leading a group of four of the thugs to the surface, all of whom had been handcuffed together. Maurice and Ged were notably absent from their ranks.

"Are you sure you got them all?"

"A few escaped. From what I could tell, their leader and second in command escaped through a submarine. We'll be on the lookout for them, but they've escaped justice for now."

The ranger led the criminals towards the second boat, where a pair of burly sailors emerged from within to throw them into a holding cell. Whistling heartily, the sailors blew the boat's horn, raised the anchor, and disappeared off into the distance.

The two rangers assembled in front of Samuel, for debriefing.

"Good job you two. I assume you guys ran into no trouble?"

The rangers murmured in agreement, before striking silly poses.

I waited for several moments, before asking Samuel about what I had just seen.

"So. What's with the poses?"

"Oh, that? That's good for morale. It's a way to show the populace that we're still people, and like to have fun just like the rest of them."

He glanced eastward.

"Well, looks like our rides are here. Jake, go get the biologist. We're headed back to the Union."

Three dark shapes descended, revealing themselves as Staraptors. They landed before us. Jake and Karen mounted one and Samuel mounted another, leaving me and Kim to ride the last one.

We began lifting off, but I couldn't help but feel I was forgetting something.

*You idiot! What about me?*

I glanced downwards. Nil was standing underneath us, hackles raised and teeth bared. Taking a page from her book, I sarcastically commented this to the ranger beside me.

"My partner might be a bit angry if we leave without her. Is there any way for her to be brought back too?"

With a nod, Kim directed the Staraptor to descend, before scooping Nil up in its talons. While obviously uncomfortable, at least Nil wasn't being left behind.

Although the flight itself was far from boring, I paid little attention to what we passed. Instead, I turned my attention towards Nil, who had begun a conversation with the Staraptor. I couldn't understand the Staraptor, but I could get the gist of the conversation by what little Nil was letting slip. I kept silent, intent on listening to my partner dig herself deeper into a hole.

*What do you mean, you don't get paid enough for this?*

*Oh boo hoo, you need to fly humans around every once in awhile, I need to keep mine from killing himself constantly!*

*No, you shut up, you stupid contractor!*

*Fine. I'll shut up, just please don't drop me.*

I didn't even bother to tell Nil I could hear her. It wouldn't have done any good.

Kim turned to me and asked a question.

"Have you flown on a Staraptor before? You seem pretty calm."

"Where I come from, riding Pokemon is pretty much one of the most common methods of moving about."

"Well, that's good. If you were panicking, this Staraptor would probably not listen very well. Right now, it's already pretty upset. I wonder why?"

"No clue."

I turned away, and rolled my eyes. Of course I knew.

*Nil, stop antagonizing the thing we're flying on.*

*Well he's a moron.*

As expected, Nil didn't listen.

"How close are we to the Union? I'm really hoping to clean myself off… Something in the crates down there made me feel super itchy."

"We should be able to see it, right… about… now!"

We descended rapidly, before stalling ten feet above the ground. Ahead of us was a massive structure, shaped like an ancient castle. Red accents highlighted a blue, plexiglass door, while solar panels coated the roof of the structure. There was a soft crunch below us.

*Ow.*

I turned downwards. Nil was on the ground now, teeth gritted in pain, and was glowering at the Staraptor.

"I think the Staraptor just dropped my Umbreon."

"Oh… Oops! Is it alright?"

***** YOU, BIRD, **** YOU.*

"I think so... I hope that didn't open up any old injuries."

*Dammit Nil! You better hope that didn't open up any old injuries: that mistake could've cost us another month of recovery time!*

After a little bit of coaxing, we were both on the ground. The Staraptor flew away shortly afterwards, but not before kicking some sand towards Nil. Unable to hold myself back any longer, I had to ask.

*What the hell did you say to it?*

*I asked it if it was like the rest of the idiot birds I've run into.*

*Was that really necessary?*

*I really, really didn't like being held in its talons.*

*Next time, please don't do that, you're lucky it only dropped you at our destination, rather than over a rock, or even worse, over the ocean.*

I sighed, prompting a response from the ranger.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but I get a feeling that my Umbreon doesn't like flying."

"Not many Pokemon do, so nowadays, when we do missions that require us to bring Pokemon with us, we have the Staraptors carry baskets for them to sit in. I personally have no clue how our retired rangers managed to transport a half-dozen Onyx on a single Staraptor."

"I'm also pretty worried that my Umbreon could have gotten hurt by the fall, so I'm hoping to get inside as soon as we can."

Kim nodded her head.

"We should probably go inside, I get a feeling the others are waiting for me in the control room, and you need to go to the labs."

"Fair enough."

The inside of the building reminded me of a Pokemon Center, oddly enough: almost impossibly clean, with dormitories dotting the building's interior. Nil limped behind us, determined to keep up.

My destination was on the second floor, a lab completely packed with computers and medical hardware. Karen looked up from the report she was reading as I opened the door.

"Oh, hey! While we do have other work to be doing right now, I think I owe you enough of a favor to get right down to it, yeah?"

She led me to a large, cylindrical machine which I identified as an x-ray machine. I had seen one of them before, at a human hospital, but this one had a much larger loading mouth than the ones designed for humans. I could only imagine that difficulty one would face trying to stuff an unwilling Pokemon into the machine.

"Well, might as well start with the basics. Let's see if that device is implanted."

I sat down inside the tray, and closed my eyes as the machine's scanner whirled around me. Moments later, the spinning stopped and the tray was ejected.

"Well, you're in perfect condition. We can't see any implanted devices, so that's a bust."

"Could you scan my Umbreon too?"

"Sure, why not."

Nil was lifted onto the tray by an assistant, and the process was repeated. One of the scientists who was in charge of interpreting the readings spoke.

"What the…"

"Huh?" I was honestly curious about my partner's condition.

"This Umbreon does NOT have any implants, but by judging from this scan, she's got three fractured ribs, a torn hamstring, and three of her femurs are pretty badly cracked. However, she has absolutely no internal bleeding, and there is no cleanly broken bone anywhere."

I blinked at them.

"Holy crap."

"Holy crap, indeed. What is she now, two years into recovery?"

"Actually, she got flattened by a Steelix not a month ago. And about ten minutes ago, she got dropped ten feet by a Staraptor."

"Really? If that were the case, she'd be in much worse shape. The fall alone would have broken one of the damaged bones, at the very least."

"Would the medical supplies I used back in Sinnoh be a factor for her recovery?."

"Those wouldn't have done anything, they're more for stopping bleeding and providing energy than for fixing deep injuries. They're actually mostly stimulants and stabilizers."

*That'd certainly explain why everything hurts...*

Karen turned back towards me. "Well, normally I'd advocate bringing the Umbreon in for surgery, but if she's healing that well, I think it might just be better to let her heal naturally."

She continued, "If the x-rays didn't bring anything up, might as well try a DNA test next. If anything, it'll tell us who exactly you are."

She retrieved two syringes from a nearby table, from a sealed container labelled "Sterile".

"This might hurt a bit, but don't worry." I shook my head. A needle is nothing compared to a Pokemon attack.

"I've survived much, much worse."

"I know that, but it's sort of standard procedure that we say that. It's actually in our contracts, believe it or not."

One prick of a needle later, the syringe was full enough for their purposes. Nil had the process repeated on her, as well. Karen placed the now-filled syringes on a table, where they were quickly labelled by an assistant, and further shifted to within separate airtight containers.

"This'll take a bit, why don't you go clean yourself off while we analyse these results?"

"That'd be great, thanks."

Forty minutes later, an assistant came to get me. I was still itchy, but noticeably less so. The staff had provided me with a change of clothes my size, which I had quickly discarded my burned and ripped pajamas in favor of. Together, Nil and I were led back to the lab, where the science team were awaiting me, concerned looks on their faces. Karen was the first to speak.

"First things first, I need to disprove my co-worker's hypothesis."

She retrieved a two-pronged metal rod from one of the side tables, and pressed a button, causing an electric current to jump from one side to the other.

"This device is more or less harmless, but if you're a Ditto, it'll force you back to your original form."

She pressed it against me, causing a minor shock. I stood firm, waiting for the test to be over.

"There. Dennis: You're an idiot."

One of the other scientists groaned, "Well, there goes my answer."

Another scientist chimed in, "You owe me fifty bucks, sucker."

I watched the two exchange a handful of coins as I stood still, confused.

"What were the results?" I asked

"Well, let's start with the least surprising results and work our way from there." Karen tapped her clipboard, and began to explain.

"Number one, your Umbreon has PokeRus, a parasitic organism that's rather uncommon. It's known to attach itself to the host's immune system and feed off of lymphocytes. The only major problems you'll run into are itchiness, and a much weaker immune system. Luckily, it tends to leave its host after about a week, after which the body throws itself into overdrive to repair the damage. You should just let it run its course, we've found that the replacement lymphocytes are much stronger than one in a pokemon who has never been infected with PokeRus. Also, since the new lymphocytes are much stronger than they were before, the host's body is effectively immune to reinfection, along with being incredibly resistant to other kinds of disease."

I saw one of the scientists pull Karen aside, and whisper to her. I couldn't help but overhear.

"You sure that the kid even knows what a lymphocyte is? I think you might be using words that are too big for him."

Shrugging slightly, Karen continued.

"Number two. You... also have PokeRus. We weren't sure how, since PokeRus only infects Pokemon. In fact, we've even run tests to see whether PokeRus is able to spread to humans, and every single test reported a invariant negative. Although we have decided that humans are ineligible for PokeRus, we think our third point is the exception."

"Number three… "

She paused for a moment, and took a deep breath.

"According to our scans, there's something strange going on with you. We're not sure what it is, but the sample we took from you was heavily charged with some sort of strange energy. This energy seems to be extremely similar to the energy readings from a place known as Chroma Ruins. Unfortunately, we haven't really taken a team down there to get an updated survey for at least a decade, so this data may be incorrect. Either way, we're not sure how you're even able to hold this energy, let alone how you even got it in the first place."

She took another breath, before continuing.

"Your Umbreon is in a similar state, however she's much more stable, and easier to explain. Normally when an Eevee evolves, they absorb some sort of trait and integrate that, in this case, we think that the strange energy that we found is responsible for her being an Umbreon. Either way, your Umbreon's sample also contained quantities of the energy, with the exact same frequency and properties as the sample we've taken from you. We're completely stumped about how this could happen. There's also... another snag we ran into. We accidentally ran your sample through the test we use to gauge the power of wild Pokemon."

Another pause.

"The first result was positive. The second, also positive. Of our sixty-five tests, over 80% of them were positive, meaning that whatever the energy is, you have some sort of control over it, just like how Pokemon have control of the energy that flows through them. Either way, something very strange is going on."

She gestured to her side, as an elderly man sporting dreadlocks walked into view.

"As we said, we had no clue how or why this had happened, so we started grasping at straws. Eventually, we gave up, and began trying wild guesses. Eventually, we reached the bottom of our list, and called up our spiritualist. His answer to our question was pretty outlandish, but it's the only one we have."

The dreadlocked man appeared ancient, yet somehow still wise beyond his years. Well, either extremely wise, or extremely effective at APPEARING wise. He spoke quietly, but with a purpose.

"Science hasn't accepted it fully, but there's a belief about the nature of souls. A few specialists, like me, believe that Humans are simply just another type of Pokemon, except of a different type. However, since we lack the abilities of Pokemon, our theories state that whatever our type is, it has no powers of its own."

He continued: "We know that types have something to do with personality, as most Pokemon which share types share a common personality from a narrow pool. We began theorizing that the broad range of Human personalities are caused by secondary types, in too low of a concentration to grant any power."

"We began using spheres of fluid as a metaphor for souls, where every being has a particular main color, but can have several different impurities. We named this model the Hue Theory."

"Using this theory, we tried to explain how two Pokemon are able to evolve in ways that seemed impossible to simple type theory: Azurill, and Eevee."

"Azurill is known for being a Normal type Pokemon, yet seemingly sheds this attribute as it ages, instead becoming Water type. Using our theory, we described the soul of an Azurill slowly becoming more and more tinted with the color, the type, of water. Eventually, it consumes the entirety of the soul's color, rendering the Azurill a pure water type."

"Similarly, we looked at Eevee, a pokemon known for evolving in more ways than any other. Our decision was that an Eevee's soul is completely devoid of either hue or color, and thus, like a bucket of water, a single drop of color spreads through it like a wildfire."

"What I think happened to you, is extremely similar to what happens to an Azurill: whatever this energy is, it's diluting your soul enough to allow you to control this power in ways beyond a regular human. Perhaps even enough to overpower the damping effect that human blood provides.."

"All of this is a theory, however. We've been unable to prove it, but so far it has withstood many attempts to disprove it. Please forgive me if it seems outlandish."

I had to cut him off.

"So what you're saying I'm a Pokemon?"

"For all purposes and intents, yes."

I could only stare back at him blankly.


	20. Denial

I didn't want to believe the guru, nor did I want to even acknowledge that he had brought his point up. Instead, I focused on the first and second points. The points I could do something about.

"Are there any medicines that reduce the itchiness from PokeRus?"

Karen could see my denial, but did not comment upon it.

"It really is quite rare, so there's no direct treatment for it. However, general-use anti-inflammatories, or numbing cream should help somewhat."

"That's good. Where could we find some? This itch is driving us crazy."

One of the assistants left for the medical bay, returning a couple of minutes later with a white container. The assistant gestured to us to take it.

"This should do the trick: normally we use this to treat poison ivy, or burns. Just be careful: you'll be less sensitive in the areas you apply this to. I wouldn't recommend spreading it with your hands. Here, take these gloves."

"Thank you. Now you were saying something about a place called Chroma Ruins?"

I could see the entire room staring at me in pity. However, I couldn't accept the proof. I couldn't handle the proof. Not then, and not for a long while to come.

"Chroma Ruins… It's a place that was uncovered about fourty years ago, by a man named Brighton Hall. Ever since the Miniremo Crisis, it's been under lock and key: the crystals that are mined within have several anomalous properties. To our luck, only a few of the many, many crystals have this property, but we still guard it, just in case another cache awaits within."

"Is there a way for me to get inside, then?"

"I'm certain that if you ask the someone higher up, you could probably receive clearance to enter. If you do, the fastest way to enter through the old mountain oil rig. It's normally only approachable by air, but I doubt that will slow you down."

"If I'm going inside, I might as well be told what the difference between the crystals are."

"According to research notes from a few decades back, the crystals exist in two states. The harmless state is clear, and harbors no properties whatsoever. The active state, the one we're worried about, is obsidian black, but apparently they can be discharged by direct application of other types of crystal, known collectively as 'Prince's Tears.'"

"Do they ever exist in a state of in-between?"

"Never, at least according to our logs. They're only ever either charged, or clear. Even when discharging them, they quickly return back to their charged state if the process is interrupted midway."

"Thank you. I'll be on my way now."

As I left the room, I could hear Karen conversing with one of the researchers.

"Poor kid… was that really the only way to break the news to him?"

"We could have misled him, but what good would that have done? He'll recover faster this way… The sooner he learns, the sooner he can accept it."

I veered towards the nearest washroom, threw on the gloves, and practically doused myself in cream. I applied the remaining amount to Nil, who agreed wholeheartedly to my assessment. I threw the now-empty container into a nearby trashcan, disposed of the gloves, and stepped back into the hallway. As the scientists described, I had lost all feeling around the area I applied the cream to, which brought back memories of the flaky, blackened burn I had received not a year ago.

I continued my march, aiming myself towards the higher floors, not truly knowing my destination. I didn't care; I just wanted to be gone. Nil had been silent the entire time, and spoke up, strangely sympathetically.

*Hard to believe it, huh? That the trap did that?*

*Shut up. I don't want to hear about it. Besides, it's just a theory, from a crazy old coot.*

*Even if you ignore him, they had evidence: they took samples!*

*Samples can be wrong. Still, I don't care.*

She paused for a moment, searching for a better subject to turn towards.

*So it's official that we're partners now?*

*Huh?*

*We are now both officially equals. That means you can't order me around!*

*I couldn't order you around anyway, because you don't listen. Nothing's changed.*

*And I thought I was stubborn...*

Eventually, on the top floor, we passed a large room. A sign identified it as Main Command, a promising area if I ever saw one. I pushed open the door, hoping to ask my question and leave the building.

On the other side, I saw Samuel and his two squad-mates standing in front of a middle-aged woman, who I assumed was a commander of some kind. Knowing that I had just made a mistake and barged into a classified debriefing, I sat down in a corner, and waited to be noticed. Running, I knew, wasn't going to help me here. I could hear the commander and Samuel speaking, but the commander spoke the first sentence I could understand.

Still, I examined the room as they spoke, taking in my surroundings. It was a much larger room than the lab, with glowing monitors and blinking lights casting irregular shadows across the tile floor. Towards the back of the room, I could see a bank of a dozen people sitting at computers, all wearing headsets and engaged in conversation with the other side.

"So to wrap it up, great job! Not a single casualty, not a single injury, and the fastest response time in Ranger history. You should be proud!"

"We can't take all the credit. A majority of the legwork and scouting was done by our contact, who somehow managed to not only inform us of the criminal's position, but free all the prisoners, and then also open the main gate for us as well."

"I suppose you're right. They have every right to be congratulated as you do. Do you know where they are now?"

"From when I last spoke to him, he was headed to our labs to be examined. He has… several… talents that I recommended being examined."

"Well, we should go fetch him, anyway. Can someone send a message to the labs?"

Seeing a chance to be not only useful, but dramatic as well, I spoke up, with a slight grin on my face.

"That won't be necessary."

The commander and the other two rangers jumped, and turned to face me. Samuel looked over his shoulder, saw me, and turned back to his original facing, his face turning towards amusement. He didn't even skip a beat.

"That's him."

The commander replied, still recovering, "I… see. That'd explain how he was able to move through the base so easily. I didn't even hear the door open."

She gestured towards me, "Come on up, we need to thank you for your efforts."

I rose, and approached the commander. Nil followed closely behind.

As I got closer, the commander looked over me with a practiced gaze, as if trying to assign me a worth.

"Samuel, you didn't tell me the contact was just a boy! Also: what did the lab DO to you? You absolutely REEK of medicinal cream. And who is that Pokemon behind you?"

Samuel shrugged his shoulders as I answered her questions in turn.

"Not many do; I'm doing things most would attribute to an adult. The lab did a scan, and a DNA test. I think they got the DNA test wrong: I got mis-diagnosed with PokeRus. The smell was because I was given a tub of itch cream to use, which I really appreciated. I used it all, split between me and Nil. And this pokemon," I gestured at Nil, "Is my partner, Nil."

"Samuel did describe you as a trainer from Sinnoh, but I thought that they used many Pokemon there. It is not common to refer to a single Pokemon in a collective as a Partner."

"I… had a bit of a traumatic experience when I tried to recall Nil into a Pokeball. It ended up with the Pokeball, and my trust in other Pokeballs, blowing up in my face. Both figuratively, and literally. The shards of which I had to pick out of my skin with my bare hands. Since I'm not willing to risk that ever again, Nil's my only Pokemon, and even then, she's without a Pokeball."

The commander looked at me strangely.

"That's bizarre. We did many tests of Pokeballs, to discern the long-term effects of them, and while we discovered many problems with them, safety was not one of them. No matter what we did, they never exploded as you described. We linked them to everything from mental damage to energy loss, but every time one broke, it was almost always into two or three large pieces, and the pieces were always blunt."

She snapped out of her reverie and continued, "Anyway, with the power invested in me as third Chairswoman of the Ranger Union, I grant you honorary citizenship. If you ever need a home, you'll always be welcome here."

"Always?" I asked.

"Always." She replied.

"I actually have a second request. Nothing major, but pretty important."

"Shoot."

"I need access to the 'Chroma Ruins'. The lab team said that I should check it out."

"That old place? Well, as long as you don't go letting shady people in, you should be fine. I'll get one of the personnel to issue you a pass. What is your name, by the way?"

"Vis."

"So no last name, just Vis?"

"I don't remember it. Nor do I remember my real name."

"Okay then, I guess that works."

I was handed a piece of laminated plastic.

"This'll tell the guards to let you in. While you're down there, I'd recommend grabbing a pale crystal: they make exquisite pendants."

"Thank you. One thing I don't understand, is why do both you and Samuel react so strongly when I refer to Nil as my partner?"

She gazed downwards, obviously not enjoying the topic I had just brought up.

"Rangers often attract Pokemon who volunteer to become an assistant of sorts, which we've always called partners. We… don't bring them on dangerous missions anymore. We still bring them out during domestic, or environmental issues, but… "

She paused, unsure of how to word her next statement.

"Losing a partner is traumatic. So traumatic, that we've had promising rangers turn in their gear and quit, simply due to the intense guilt of having lost a loyal friend. Among those who suffered such a fate was the child of two of the heroes of the Miniremo crisis: a ranger who showed amazing promise. Unfortunately… her partner's life was taken during a mission, in a last-ditch attempt to get her to safety. She showed every sign of surpassing the skill of both of her parents, but the pain of losing such a friend was too much, and she turned in her badge. To the best of my knowledge, she works at the Ranger School now, training recruits. Since then, we've all decided that it's much safer to leave our partners behind when the stakes become too high."

I blinked for several moments, taking it all in. What would I be without Nil? Would I even be able to force myself to find a replacement? I doubted it. If I lost her, it would be over. For both of us.

Samuel and his squad had taken off their hats, perhaps in remembrance, or perhaps in tradition. All I knew was that I had struck a nerve. I could feel their pain. Unwilling to bring any more of such a grim topic to light, I changed the topic as quickly as I could.

"I'm off then, to Chroma Ruins?"

"If you wish, we can have someone drop you off. You'll have to make your way back on your own, however."

"That's fine."

Samuel volunteered to fly me out, and moments later we stood outside, as a Staraptor approached. Nil pushed a suggestion forward.

*How about this time, you go, and then warp me in afterwards? I don't like flying.*

*You're afraid of heights?*

*NO. Where did you get that idea from? Noooo… Yes.*

*That explains a lot, actually.*

Samuel mounted the Staraptor, and extended a hand towards me. I climbed aboard, but brought Nil's suggestion to his attention.

"Nil here doesn't want to fly with us. Can you just fly me over? I'm pretty sure I can pull the warp trick off again."

"You know, that'd be pretty useful."

"Huh?"

"If you can open portals between yourself and your Umbreon, then you could act as a mobile teleporter of sorts. No offence."

"None taken."

Eventually, we arrived at our destination, another derelict oil rig, this one guarded by several people in uniforms. Samuel dropped me off, and flew off into the distance. I approached the guards, flashed my card, and within moments I was within the depths of the mine. Deciding that now would be the ideal time to bring Nil in, I opened a gate.

It was much easier this time than the others, and once again the gate opened on the first try. I wasn't sure whether it was due to practice or not, but felt relieved that I was getting the hang of it so quickly.

The guards had described the place I would enter as the deepest sanctum, where a gigantic charged crystal had sat before the Miniremo Crisis.

What they couldn't have told me, was that the interior of the ruins were of the same make as the City of the Lost. The interior stone was the same smooth basalt, and it was just as dark and unnaturally warm. However, the state of these ruins was much, much worse. Walls were cracked, sections of the roof had collapsed, and in a few places, unseen pools of water had become small streams. In addition, hundreds of pale crystals glimmered in the dim light, studding the walls and roof like so many thorns. However, this site lacked the sheer feeling of unease that the other site had in spades, perhaps due to being defiled so long ago.

My initial searching of the chamber led to discovering a large, unnatural-looking, nearly square section of pale crystal, heavily embedded in the ground. I stared at it for several moments, and tapped it twice with a trowel before continuing onwards, dismissing it as mere decoration. The floor continued for another few rooms, before extending into a vast cave system. As my exploration supplies were long since pilfered, I was forced to turn around.

I tripped over a large rock, and ended up landing, face first, onto of a large, pale crystal. Lifting myself off the ground, I examined what I had just fallen onto.

Unlike the other crystals, this one was clear, but appeared to have swirling tendrils of darkness within it, an impossibility according to the science team. Realizing that they'd probably want to have a look at it, I stowed it in my pocket for later. I could feel my arms grow heavy as I did, as if I had opened another portal. However, I pushed my thoughts aside and retreated back to the sanctum.

I found an outcropping of stone to sit upon, and retrieved the crystal I had acquired, determined to take a closer look at it. To my surprise, it had changed.

It now was pitch black.

I stared at the now-charged stone. Had I done something to it? I picked up another, much smaller shard, curious to see if I could replicate the effect. As I held it in my palm, I watched as surface became murkier in but an instant, matched with a sudden feeling of tiredness. Nil, watching me intently, asked me a question.

*Huh, any clue what's causing that?*

*Not a one. We should bring this back... I get the feeling they'll have some more questions to ask us.*

As we turned to leave, could have sworn that I saw a shape flee out of the ruins.

I felt more than a little paranoid, so I hurried out as quickly as I could.

The guards nodded towards me as I stepped back out into the sun. Not wanting to startle them, I circled around until I was out of sight, and then opened a portal to the ground below.

The area we were in was gloomy and damp, almost a swamp. Still, we trudged onwards, hoping to return before sundown.


	21. Reflection

**Thank you for your review!**

 **Cara Normal: Yeah, my writing's pretty confusing at first. I'm hoping I'll be able to wrap everything up by the conclusion.**

* * *

We barely made it back to the Union before sundown. Although I hated to admit it, I had begun to miss my long, meandering walks from town to town, something I knew I wouldn't be able to find here. Even if I didn't truly have a home, it didn't help offset the fact that I did, in fact, feel homesick. I wondered how much longer we would be here, hiding from a personal goal we had now abandoned twice. As soon as I get back, I promised myself, I was going to finish what I started.

But I knew that I would have to stop after the eighth gym. The elite four offered me no benefits for challenging them: I didn't WANT to be idolized. I didn't WANT to have my name be broadcast across the world as the latest upstart trainer. What I really wanted?

All I wanted was to be acknowledged as having tried, and in the face of all opposition, succeeded.

These thoughts consumed my mind as I returned to the lab, crystals safely in my pocket.

I knocked, waited a moment, and was eventually let in. This time, I could see that everyone inside was busy, so I sidled down the wall, and asked one of less important-looking staff instead.

"Did you know that those ruins over there are of the same make as a ruin we've seen in Sinnoh?"

One of the assistants looked up from his task of sorting paperwork to answer me.

"Really? We assumed they were one of a kind. I suppose then that the ruins in your region are also well known?"

"Only in legends and fables, really. But I've been there; they are both hewn from the same stone, and both located deep underground. The one I've seen is just better preserved."

Nil filled in the piece of information I omitted.

*And full of traps. One of which we blindly stumbled into.*

"I would assume so, since ours was the unfortunate victim of a renegade mining operation. Few things survive after the fatcats scent money, it seems."

"Also, is this thing a charged crystal?"

I retrieved the larger of the two crystals from my pocket, and placed it upon a desk.

The assistant came over, still shifting paperwork about with his hands.

"You probably found a little crystal that someone missed. Let me take a look."

He quickly glanced towards it, before continuing with his duty.

"Yup. Pretty rare, those ones."

He stopped shuffling papers for a moment, and began staring straight ahead.

"Wait… What?"

He turned back towards the crystal.

"Holy cow, that's a huge crystal, let alone a charged one! Let me call Nicole, she probably wants to have a look at this thing."

He spoke quickly as he went to get the geologist. "Oh, and by the way, sorry in advance."

Within what seemed to be a second, a very excited looking geologist came charging from the back of the room at full speed and accosted me with questions.

"Where did you find it? Was it exposed, or did you have to dig to get it? How did you find it in the first place? Do you mind if we take some samples? Can we keep it?"

I couldn't help but compare the Geologist's reaction to Jack, but waved it off. Everyone is allowed to have an interest, no matter how strange.

"I found it in the ruins. I tripped over a rock, and fell onto it. It was loose, and I managed to remove it with just my hands. Please calm down."

A few seconds later, I continued.

"When I fell onto it, it was more or less pure, besides a few wisps of energy. As I walked about, however, it slowly shifted in color, eventually becoming pitch black."

"So you found a way to charge the crystal?"

"No clue. I'd like to keep it though."

The geologist opened her mouth to reply, before cutting herself off.

"I… Suppose so. Would make a really nice centrepiece, I do admit."

"Well, anyway. Was I needed for anything?"

"No, not really. Everyone's back to work, besides me. I was on coffee break."

"So basically the only thing coming back here did was bother the assistant."

"Well, you did give me pretty definite proof that we should keep that place locked up tight, at least. If those things are down there, or if they're able to be charged… We don't want another Miniremo Crisis."

"Everyone's talking about that crisis, but what exactly was it?"

"Oh. Yeah. You're a tourist, right? We don't exactly advertise what it was. To describe it quickly, a particularly gifted scientist discovered a method of controlling Pokemon using a wireless device some odd twenty years ago, which was quickly stolen and abused by a criminal organization, previously known as Dim Sun. Long story short, the rangers ended up wiping out the gang's main leaders, while the scientist was brought over here. He made several advancements, but never truly recovered from what he did."

"So it was bad?"

"Real bad. They're still not releasing details about what happened to the general public. I'm only telling you this much, because you're carrying one of the keystones to that very device, and with all honesty, I doubt you'd try and build one of the devices. Not like you'd be able to do so by yourself anyway."

"The guards said there was a gigantic crystal down there before. Where is that now?"

"Oh. That? That's a huge tourist attraction now. They managed to purify it, and now it's just a gigantic pale crystal. From what I can tell, they took the big crystals from the historical sites too, and those are orbiting around it now, too. It's at the top of Altru Tower. If you're not doing anything else, I'd recommend checking it out, it's pretty breathtaking, especially at night. Heck, you can see it gleaming all the way from Pueltown Harbor!"

"Well, I suppose I don't have anything else planned. Still, I think I should rest the night, do you guys have an empty bed I can borrow?"

I shake my head. I spent far too much time running about, never any truly enjoying what I had, what I had earned. Instead, I kept striving for more, giving up my possessions in a constant gamble for further gains. I… never thought… never thought I would lose it all.

There was a saying in the old world that you never truly appreciate what you have until it is gone. The saying died with the people who coined it, but it has never been more true. Every moment of every day, I grieved for the mistakes I had made, the branches I had cut short.

The people I had been betrayed by, and the people that I had betrayed in return.

I could have stopped it. All of it. I could have stopped it right then and there, had I been more aware, had I paid attention, had I decided to seek help. Then… Then this all… could have been averted. Then things would have... would have turned out differently.

No. I couldn't have. I was weak then; I had no allies, and no reason to pursue matters I did not know about. There was... nothing I could do. Nothing I could do whatsoever. All my narrow-minded struggles would have done is guaranteed not only it, but the second one as well.

The one that we COULD do something about. The one that we had strived to stop, the one which we had devoted centuries to be strong enough to stand against.

Our second, and final chance at redemption.

Nil interrupts my turmoil.

*Vis, are you alright?*

*I'm fine.*

*Are you sure? You seem so distant... You've been doing this more and more lately, yet won't tell me why.*

*... How... how much do you remember about our past?*

*None of it, the last thing I remember is the first time I left for the new surface, not a hundred years ago.*

*Have you ever wondered why?*

*Huh?*

*Have you ever wondered why you were able to adapt so well to the surface, while I stayed behind? It doesn't matter. You'll understand soon enough.*

* * *

We were lent a bunk which we gratefully accepted. Unlike my last rest, this one was fraught with nightmares, strange dreams, and unease.

I subconsciously wrestled with everything I had experienced, everything I had seen. It manifested to me, as wraiths within my mind, whispering my doubts for only me to hear. I could see them, black, bodiless shapes, all sharing my face, all speaking in my own voice. I could hear them, but couldn't speak out in return.

"You're not human," one whispered.

"We don't know what this energy is… but it was the cause of the crisis…" another ranted, to an unknown listener.

"You don't belong here. You don't belong anywhere. You never belonged, and never will," yet another hissed, voice full of despair and hatred.

I resisted my own doubts, fighting back as their words clawed at my being. I attempted to strike back, to purge the thoughts from my mind. My efforts were in vain, as my voice drew no sound, and my body drew no power.

"What are you. What is your purpose?" the first wraith asked.

"Nothing you will do will matter," chuckled the second.

"Everything is pointless," spat the third.

"Fate itself despises you. Luck is your enemy. You are just a pawn. Play your part," spoke a fourth, this time in a voice not my own. Instead, it echoed of power.

"Something is wrong with all of this. Why can't you see it?" the first wraith despaired.

I could feel my mind slipping away, as the wraiths circled ever closer.

"You're a failure."

"Accept your loss. Give up."

"Go the easy road, you've already done too much."

"There is no such thing as victory."

"Your family never loved you. Never will."

"Give us your mind, and it will all be over. No more pain, no more despair."

"WHAT. ARE. YOU." screamed the first wraith, drowning out the rest.

In a final, desperate move, I gathered what remained of my quickly fading will, and swung my left hand towards the closest wraith, hoping desperately to find solace from the voices. This time, my body reacted to my desperate command.

The wraith exploded as my hand collided with it, causing all but the fourth to scatter in different directions. The remaining one turned towards me, its face now not my own, but rather, a twisted mockery of it. Cracks lined its... my... face, like a shattered porcelain doll. It spoke in three different voices, all mixed into a horrifying cacophony.

"Oh h҉o͠w ̧t̛his one͜ ̶f̷igh͜ts! ҉I͜ts̨ ̸m̷ind is ̧str͠on͠ge͡r͜ ͝t̨h͟a͘n ҉th̡e ̶o͡t͡hers!́ ͝ Wh͜aţ a͘ ̡t̸ręat i͟t wi͏l̡l̸ ͜be̶..͏. ͜ ͏W͢atch̴ yo͠u̷r̕ ́b̡a̢c̀k͏, hu͘m̧a͝n, ̴f͞or̢ m̸y͠ g̢ìf҉t ͞will͘ s̛oo̢n͏ ͟be ͘yours. ́ ͠W̵h̨eţh͝er̡ y͡o͏ù lik̸e̶ ̡it, ̷o̡r n̷ot."

* * *

I awoke in a cold sweat; muscles tensed, pulse racing. The voices still rung in my head, but were quickly fading.

The room I was sleeping in was now illuminated by a strange, pulsing, purple light, the same light that was emitted by the gates I had opened. I searched for the source, but found no trace of a gate.

It was when I reached to wipe the sweat from my brow that I realized where the light was coming from.

The hand I had swung, my left, now crackled with violet energy. Sparks of energy jumped from finger to finger, to the rhythm of my own frantic breathing. I mimed a throwing motion, to try and undo whatever… THIS was, but only succeeded in launching a small orb of energy towards the wall. The orb shimmered as it soared through the air. It collided with the wall, but seemingly did nothing to it.

I stared at my hand. What was this? How did it happen. The questions of the first wraith returned to my consciousness. How did this exist? How did I exist? What really was I?

What I did know, was that whatever I had done, it wasn't making me tired. In fact, I felt like I had not done anything whatsoever.

I clenched my fist, which seemed to dismiss the energy immediately.

Was this another effect of the ruins? If so, why had it only manifested now? Was it because of entering the Chroma Ruins? Or perhaps, had the wraiths unlocked something inside me? I didn't know.

The only thing I did know, was that shaking Nil awake to explain to her what happened was the first, and most important priority.


	22. Breaking Point

Nil was less than pleased to be woken up so late.

*What. What do you want?* she snapped groggily.

I gestured towards the door to the hallway as I threw on my clothes.

*Something really weird just happened. However, I think we should go outside, where we won't wake anyone up.*

*Is it important enough to wake me up? Because if not, I'm going back to sleep instead.*

*Very much so.*

Silently, we exited our room. The entire time, I retold my experience within the dream.

*So a strange, creepy, extremely vivid dream? Interesting, but not exactly world-ending. I still don't understand why we have to go outside to discuss it, though.*

*I'm more concerned about what happened at the very end of it.*

*The creepy mask-things?*

*No, something else. Can't really explain it, but bear with me for a moment, till we get outside.*

Nil sighed.

*I always do.*

We quickly reached the entryway door. I pulled out the temporary keycard I had been given, and stepped outside into the night. The sky was pitch black, with only the light of the stars providing any light whatsoever. A new moon.

*Take a look at this.*

I focused my will once more, and moments later the violet energy had returned. This time it was much more pure, with sparks only rarely appearing, rather than the roiling maelstrom that I had summoned before. As it flickered in my palm, it cast a dim glow around me. Nil shot me a glance, before quickly asking me a question.

*Any clue what that does?*

*Not a damn clue. That's why I called you out here.*

Nil gestured to my side somewhat sluggishly.

*Try gesturing wildly. Maybe something will happen. Or we'll get hit by lightning or something.*

I raised an eyebrow towards my partner.

*You're just upset that I woke you up in the middle of the night.*

She yawned back at me.

*Bingo.*

I waved my hand about carefully, while doing my best to keep the energy manifested. Several times, it flicked out, forcing me to resummon it. Even stranger, I could feel an exhaustion coming on from keeping the energy active for as long as I had.

*That's weird. The first time, I didn't even feel it.*

Eventually, one of my gestures returned a result: a quick mimed throw forced the energy to coalescence, and project forward in a small sphere. The sphere flew forward for about a yard and a half, before dissipating into the ether. I couldn't help but flinch as the sphere was launched.

Nil had paused for a moment, deep in thought.

*Are you ready to accept the proof now?*

*What?*

*That's a new move if I've ever seen one. Are you ready to accept that old human's idea?*

*What? No. I'm a human. I'll always be human. There's humans back home that have abilities like this, you've seen them too, right? Psychics, Channellers, and Hex Maniacs if I remember correctly.*

*I've never heard of any of those having any real offensive abilities. That ability is an offensive one, I can't imagine it being anything else. So you try explaining why you can do that, and not them?*

*Maybe they just never practiced?*

*I very much doubt that.*

Not wanting to have to listen to another moment of that particular conversation, I instead changed the topic.

*Anyway, you said that ability is for combat? It's a little different than the portal thing, but if it really works in a combat situation… I should probably practice it.*

Nil glanced back at me in annoyance. I wasn't fooling her, I wasn't fooling anyone. Yet, she humored me.

*Well, it's good to know I have some backup, if we ever get back to fighting again.*

*I doubt the rules would let me assist you directly, but I see what you mean. Not being helpless is definitely a good thing.*

*We should probably go back inside. It's late, and I want to go back to sleep.*

I opened the door, and Nil scampered inside. Sighing deeply, I paused for a moment before following her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of red eyes, watching. They disappeared as soon as I turned.

To my luck, the nightmares failed to return that night, and I awoke, refreshed. Wanting to get going as soon as I could, I quickly got ready, and began to gather my things. Finally, I opened the container they gave me to store the crystals, and tipped them out. To my surprise, yet another change sat right in front of me.

Although the large crystal hadn't changed, the smaller of the two was completely pale.

*Nil, the small crystal isn't charged any more.*

Nil was still asleep. I briefly considered shaking her awake once more, but decided against it. That would only end in pain.

I shrugged my shoulders. It probably wasn't important. I tossed both crystals back into their container, and carried it out into the hallway.

One of the rangers was waiting for me outside; a scraggly and thin fellow with half-lidded eyes. This one seemed to be a lot less experienced than the others.

"They managed to recover your bag."

He dropped my bag, which appeared to now be significantly lighter.

He continued, "From the looks of it, they managed to steal a large portion of your stuff. The only things in there still are badges, rope, and, strangely enough, this dirty scratched yellow ball thing."

He pulled out the gold nugget I had been keeping in my bag. I couldn't help but laugh.

"That 'ball thing' is solid gold."

The ranger's eyelids flew open, as his brows furrowed in disbelief.

"What."

"So they left behind the only item of value I had in that bag. I mean, they probably took a thousand or so dollars in Sinnoh money, but that's easily replaced."

"How the hell did you get a ball of solid gold?"

"Exploration. Technically, I'm a retired explorer."

"Uh… okay. Anyway, I've been asked to accompany you to the tower."

*Huh? What's happening? Where are you?*

*Oh, you're up. I was just about to come back and get you.*

*Are we headed out to the tower, now?*

*Yeah. They've assigned an escort to us, probably due to our discovery in the ruins.*

*Interesting. Do you think they're using us as guinea pigs?*

*Entirely possible.*

"Are you ready to go?" spoke the ranger.

"Almost. Just need to ask my partner something."

"Fine, but I don't want to wait all day."

*We're probably going to travel by air. Same deal as last time?*

*Yes please.*

The trip was extremely quick by air. The Staraptor deposited us at the foot of Altru tower, where I quickly scuttled into the bushes to summon Nil. As I returned, I saw the ranger fiddling with a scanner of some kind. He quickly hid it when he noticed my approach. Assuming that whatever it was, it wasn't important to me, I asked to get moving towards the elevator.

The interior of the building was packed. Thick crowds were lined up towards several help desks, all of which were clearly labeled. The two that I could see were apparently "Licensing" and "Electricity". The elevator itself wasn't as densely packed, but I still was only able to fit inside after three groups had come and gone. Finally, my turn came, and I stepped inside. Nil voiced her complaints.

*I really don't feel so good...*

*Probably just the elevation. We'll be fine.*

As we ascended, I quickly noticed a mounting feeling of unease. Something was wrong, but I couldn't understand what. And even worse, as we got closer and closer to the top, the feeling only became more and more strong. By the time that we reached the top, I could practically taste tinfoil and hear static.

*I REALLY don't feel good.*

The elevator opened to reveal a gigantic pale crystal. I stepped out of the elevator, and slowly approached it. As I entered within fifty feet, it felt like a dam had broken.

Every moment, I became more and more exhausted, as if I could feel my energy slipping away. Even worse, I felt extremely sick.

I rushed over to the edge of the tower, and voided my stomach over the edge. Nil had collapsed beside me, as I began to feel as if a thousand razors had begun to tear away at my insides. I vomited again, this time drawing a mix of black bile and blood.

The crowd around me was staring at me in horror. However, I quickly ceased to care about their opinion, with my only focus being to get away from the tower as quickly as I could. I picked up Nil, who was now unconscious and seizing on the floor, and ran as fast as I could towards the elevator shaft, muscles searing in pain, and mind ablaze. I made it halfway to the elevator door before I collapsed. Behind me, I could see the ranger who had accompanied me calling for assistance, but I couldn't see him for long. Soon, my vision faded, leaving the world behind.

I awoke screaming.

Around me, doctors and nurses had turned towards me, shooting me a mixture of shock and concern. The rest of the patients had also turned towards me, but their stares were universally of horror. I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was seeing if Nil was okay. If being near that… THING caused her to pass out before me, I could only imagine what it had done to her.

*NIL! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?*

No response. Either she was still unconscious… or.. .

I spoke as quickly as I could.

"Do any of you know where my Umbreon is?"

One responded, still staring at me with shock.

"She should be over in the treatment bay, one room to the right. But please, sit down!"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed.

Strangely, no one stopped me as I jumped from the bed, and sprinted towards the treatment bay. I briefly questioned their choice of illuminating the hallways with purple fluorescent lights, but I had a partner to check up on.

As I passed a couple treatment bays, all of which were filled with injured pokemon, I passed the ranger that had escorted us to the tower. He was busy conversing with a scientist.

"So the scanners picked up the same energy that gets emitted when a shadow crystal is discharged?"

"From the looks of it, a really large one."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the kid?"

"Probably."

They finally noticed my approach and turned towards me. Just like everyone else, they reacted with shock. I shouted at the scientist.

"Where is my partner?"

"Just in this bay, but wait a second…"

I barrelled past him, into the room. Behind me I could hear the ranger speak.

"Scratch that. Definitely the kid."

The room was empty, save for a straw bed, which Nil sat in the middle of, still unconscious. This room, just like the others, appeared to be dimly lit by purple light. I approached, and laid my left arm onto Nil, hoping desperately to wake her up.

I only realized my hand was surrounded with energy just as it touched her. I cursed loudly, praying that I wouldn't be responsible for the death of my partner directly.

I attempted to pull my hand from her, but it held fast, as if it was attached with glue. Terror began to mount as I continued my attempt, hoping to abort whatever I had begun. I was praying now that whatever ability I was channelling was harmless. Heck, I would have been willing to settle for merely nonlethal.

The entire time, I could feel my mind beginning to swim as whatever I was doing continued to sap me. Finally, whatever I had been doing finished, allowing me to pull my hand free. I collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. I sat there for but a moment, before I once again pulled myself to my feet, worried for the physical state of Nil.

Nil stirred not a moment later. She raised her head, and glanced about blearily. She raised herself off of the floor, and tiredly raised a leg to scratch herself.

I watched her begin to do so, before she woke up fully, glanced to her leg, and spoke.

*Wait, why can I bend my leg again?*


	23. Respite

**AveragePichu:** Attached to a partner that isn't real? Are you talking about Pokemon, or just in general? I think the closest thing to a partner I was attached to was a Dragonite I managed to migrate from FireRed all the way down to Diamond. It was deleted along with the rest of my migrated Pokemon when a failure with a Gameshark happened.

Also, as for angering Palkia, that was meant to be a joke. If anything, Giratina would have a problem with them.

 **Edit:** Oops. Seems my text became unformatted. It should be fixed now.

* * *

Eventually, the pounding in my head abated, and I rose to my feet.

* _I probably caused a bit of a ruckus getting over here._ * I admitted

* _Well… I can bend my legs all the way again, and it feels like the pain's much less now._ * replied Nil

* _We have bureaucracy to deal with. Come on._ *

* _Of COURSE the pain continues._ * Nil groaned.

Outside, the ranger and scientist were still talking. I quickly snuck outside, to listen to what they had to say.

"So how bad is the Umbreon's condition?"

"If the scans were correct, then pretty massive nerve damage. Even worse, about half of her body is exhibiting symptoms similar to a bad organ transplant: the flesh is rejecting itself."

"Are we going to tell him?"

I replied, from my corner of the room, where I had begun leaning against the wall.

"Tell me what?"

The two turned towards me, probably not expecting me to leave the room as quickly as I had.

"She seems fine… What's the problem?" I continued

"Spinal and nervous system damage. She shouldn't be able to move."

"You mean like she's doing over there?"

I gestured sleepily towards Nil, who had since begun sitting down in a corner.

"Uh… What?" they replied

"Doesn't exactly look very paralyzed to me."

Nil sarcastically yawned towards the scientist.

"The hell?"

The scientist quickly decided to take us back towards the lab to be examined. I stumbled behind him, doing my best to keep up.

The hospital wing immediately turned silent when I reentered the room. Several of the patients still watched me in fear, while more had since returned to the ever-present confusion that somehow never left my side.

The lab staff were busy, running about as computers and machines whirred and clicked. However, unlike the rest, Karen watched us enter, before walking up to greet us.

"It's good to see you up and about."

"What… What exactly happened?"

"We're not entirely sure. To be honest, it was entirely out of left field for us, too. We expected that the crystal you were carrying around would discharge, but we had no way of knowing it'd adversely affect you as well."

"So that's what the scanner was for?"

"Well, it was suggested by Nicole that we have the rookie follow you around with the device. You see, we've never had a direct reading of a crystal that size being discharged before, as the energy signature is pretty difficult to pick out, and we want more data to confirm the frequency. The larger the crystal, the clearer the frequency. We would've used the Shadow Crystal itself… but the situation that lead to that particular purification… weren't the best."

"And you didn't tell me what the scanner was for?"

"It was entirely harmless; he was following you around just to make sure."

"Still, I might've known that..."

The other scientist cut me off.

"There's a reason we came over here. His Umbreon appears to have recovered."

"Huh. Are you sure, Glen?"

"According to the medical team's analysis, that Umbreon should be completely paralyzed. However…"

* _However, I'm here instead. Surrounded by loud, overdramatic humans. Wheee…_ *

We were led back towards the x-ray machines. However, this time, Nil climbed into the machine herself.

*I really hope this is over soon. I'm starting to get bored.*

Once again, the readings were printed, and once again they were read. However, this time they were different.

"Huh. No broken bones. That's new."

We weren't given time to discuss this further. Instead, Nicole dashed towards us, arms up in triumph.

"WE DID IT!"

Karen responded, noticeably surprised.

"Wait, really?"

"Yes! We managed to trace the discharge frequency! We've pretty much known that purifying the Shadow Crystal and its shards couldn't possibly be destroying their energy from the get-go. After all, because of the conservation of energy, it had to have been going go somewhere. And with these readings, we've finally managed to get an idea of where it's going!"

"And where is that?"

Nicole's face sank.

"That's the problem. From what we can tell, it's a large, moving signature. We're not sure how or why it's linked to the crystal, but whatever it is, it's absorbing the energy that's being relayed from the cleansed crystals."

"And this is a GOOD thing?"

"We're halfway done. Assuming we can figure out what it is, we should have our answer within a decade at most. After that, we should be able to mimic its effect and create a jammer for any future Miniremo tech that gets created. At that point, we can finally pat ourselves on the back and start releasing data on it out to the public."

Nil and I had since begun a second conversation.

* _So. You're all recovered now?_ * I asked

* _Apparently. It doesn't hurt to bend anymore, but… it feels strange._ * she replied

* _Was it the crystal that healed you?_ *

* _No, definitely not. Being near that thing was like stepping into a whirlpool. It sucked me up and tried to pull me under._ *

* _So… maybe the energy I was channeling did it?_ *

* _Wha?_ *

* _I accidentally made contact with you when channelling energy. It drained a lot out of me, but I could have sworn it did something._ *

* _Hrrmm… So you're on healing duty now?_ *

* _Haha, don't you wish. That took a ton out of me, there's no way I could possibly get enough practice to ever master that._ *

* _So, when are we headed out?_ *

* _Maybe tomorrow. I'm exhausted today._ *

The science team was still chattering about their latest discovery. Not wanting to disturb anyone, I left the labs, returned to my borrowed bed, and fell fast asleep.

The next morning was a mess.

I made sure to thank everyone who had helped me before I left the building. However, my mood towards Nicole and and the other scientists was less than pristine; their little escapade had caused quite a bit of pain. By midday, I had managed to make my way back to Pueltown. There, I restocked my pack, making sure that I had everything that I originally entered with, if not more. I even took the Chairswoman's advice and got the large crystal made into a necklace. I even had the crystal carved into a shape. It took a little bit of consideration, but we both decided upon having the shape be a crescent moon. I kept the removed portions and smaller crystal unmodified. I placed the new crystal necklace back into my bag, and walked towards the border. I had a boat to catch. No: we had a boat to catch.

The border guards saw me, looked at each other, and then came over to greet me.

"Well, don't know how you did it kid, but we've been told you've got a free trip home."

"Mostly luck. A bit of skill, but mostly luck. Are you going to just let me through?"

The guards looked at each other, and then began laughing.

"Kid, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. We don't care if you're a civilian, we don't care if you're the Chairswoman, we don't care if you're the living avatar of Arceus himself. If you step through here, you're getting searched. It's our job, and we take it seriously. Probably won't find anything, but why leave things to chance?"

Once again I listed the contents of my bag, and once again they went over my belongings with a metal detector. Eventually, I was let through.

The boat back to Sinnoh arrived ten minutes later. During this time, I took another look at my surroundings.

Over the mere month I had spent in Almia, I had become a hero. I had become a test subject. Not only that, but my perception of this place had changed. The shining light coming from the far away tower no longer brought feelings of wonder, but paranoia and panic. Similarly, the calm, uniform buildings felt… boring. Reaching into my bag, I withdrew my new necklace, a symbol of triumph over impossible odds, at least to me.

I placed it around my neck, and watched the color slowly darken and warp, before becoming completely charged. Was carrying such a thing around with me really the best choice? I didn't know. However, I could feel it within myself that it would become important. We watched the sunset as we waited for the ferry to arrive. Was I coming back? I didn't know.

When the ferry had arrived, these questions were joined by many others.

Was my life truly dependent on conflict to be worth living?

What exactly had I done to heal Nil?

And the third, most painful question.

What was I, really?


	24. Vengeance

**What Lies Beyond:** We shall see whether your theories match reality, now, won't we?

* * *

I open my eyes once more. Sinnoh was always my home, despite the pain and suffering that not only I, but the region itself had suffered over the years. Perhaps it is ironic, that the last human who was born in Sinnoh is just as warped as the land itself: barely recognisable as what it once was.

The pokemon that roamed the surface here had never had the urge to name the land, instead choosing to simply name the segments of it. Few knew its true name, and fewer yet had any reason to care.

*Nil, in all of our time together, have you ever done something you regret?*

*Who hasn't?*

* . . . *

*Why do you ask?*

*A better question I guess would be, is that have you ever done something that you have never forgiven yourself for?*

*Never.*

*Then perhaps my regret isn't as justified as I once thought.*

*Care to explain?*

*I… Can't explain yet. However, I'm sure you'll understand soon.*

Perhaps my sacrifice wasn't in vain. Perhaps it was nearly time to reveal what I have hidden.

* * *

The first thing we did upon getting back was train.

We wandered off into a random direction, intent on bumping into some wild Pokemon, which would hopefully get Nil back into the rhythm of fighting. A few times we bumped into trainers, who were easily dispatched as well.

In the back of my mind I was thankful that I had beaten them down there, rather than them learning the hard way at the gym.

Eventually, Nil had gotten a hang of battling again, and voiced a concern. A valid, piercing concern.

*So, What's the plan if we're going back to the gym?* Nil asked, as she followed me through the town.

*Did any of your attacks even faze the Steelix?*

*Clawing at it seemed to hurt it, but I have to get way too close to comfort to it to pull that off.*

*Hmmm… I have a plan.*

A couple of minutes later, we were back at the gym, both wearing grim looks of determination. The gym trainers didn't even try to stop us as we stomped up towards the gym leader, intent on a rematch.

He asked a simple question, which would have been harmless if directly to anyone besides us. To us, it was mockery of the highest caliber.

"Hello again! What took you so long? I assume you caught another Pokemon or two in the time since we've last met."

My eyes narrowed as I muttered a response.

"Nope. But we did find out a couple of new tricks."

His first pokemon out this time was a Magnemite. A claw and a rush to the face took it down. That was good: last time it had taken four.

The second pokemon was a Scizor. He hadn't revealed that one last time: perhaps it was a replacement? Regardlessly, it was fast: definitely faster than any of the pokemon the leader had used previously. However, this time, rather than going fully defensive, I tried something new.

*Nil, try and fall back, and counterattack when it gets near.*

*Okay.*

The Scizor darted around, looking for an opening. Finding one, it quickly charged.

*Dodge to the side now!*

The Scizor continued its charge, completely missing the now-absent Nil. It collided with a wall, stunning it for several moments. If it had time to gather its wits, it would have been completely fine.

Unfortunately for the Scizor, it didn't have enough time to recover.

As we took down the second pokemon, the gym leader asked us a question.

"You're pretty quiet. Do you not need to give your Umbreon commands?"

"Probably not. I'm just calling out openings." I admitted.

"Huh. That's interesting."

Finally, the Steelix was called out. A slight feeling of dread ran down my spine as it formed, before I realized that this time, I had a secret weapon.

*Nil, just keep going. However, as soon as it rears up again, get ready.* I warned.

*What are you going to do?*

*I'm going to open a portal. Behind it.*

As before, the Steelix was slow, and tough. Nil's attacks, which had worked fine against the others, barely scratched it. However, just like last time, the windup of its attacks gave plenty of time to dodge. Unfortunately; it was so large that unless the dodges were with perfect timing, it still scored a glancing hit each time. It still landed a few good hits, but not enough to cause serious harm.

Nil had dodged fifteen direct attacks. She had struck the Steelix twelve times. And slowly, but steadily, the Steelix began to falter. However, unless we took it down quickly, a thrown vial of medicine would quickly undo any progress we had made. It was time to finish it quickly.

*Nil, I need you to lunge at the Steelix.*

*Isn't that just a little bit insane?*

*Probably. However, this way it's unlikely that the Steelix will be healed: He'll be more focused on landing the takedown than recovery.*

*Well, if it will end this fight quicker… Wish me luck.*

Once again, Nil ran towards the Steelix, which quickly began lifting itself into the air. Behind it, I could hear the gym leader.

"Sorry kid."

"NOT TODAY!" I yelled in triumph.

As quickly as I could, I opened a portal in front of Nil, with the other end directly above the Steelix. As soon as I saw Nil step through, I closed both ends. While I wanted to win, I didn't want to bisect the Steelix, nor did I want to find out what would happen if one of the portals was forcibly closed.

"WHAT."

The Steelix slammed down hard atop nothing, causing it to pause for several moments as the floor shook from the impact. Nil landed on its back from above, and immediately went to town upon it, striking at it while it lay prone. Four more direct hits later, the Steelix stayed down.

As the Steelix was recalled, the my attention was turned towards the gym leader, who had begun slowly clapping.

"Well done: I've never seen someone try and dupe me into using a Giga Impact before. I'll definitely need to take that into consideration from now on. Here."

He handed me another badge. I shrugged, before asking him a different question.

"Are there any places nearby that are good for training? I'd like to get a leg up on the competition."

"Well, there's Iron Island…"

"Good. I'm sold. How do I get there?"

"Just take a boat, there should be a ferry in the harbor to it. If I remember correctly, it should be free."

"Great. Bye!"

I left in haste, aiming directly for the harbor again.

*You're just excited that we beat him. Aren't you.* chideded Nil.

*Does it show?*

*I don't think I've ever seen you this happy.*

*That's not true… There was the time where… I mean there was… I… *

*Go on...*

* . . . nope.*

*Well, it's better to be happy than unhappy, right?*

*I guess. I suppose I did get something out of that trip. I mean, besides this.*

I removed the obsidian-black crystal pendant I was still wearing. I still didn't understand its secret, and hoped to test some things as Nil trained. I stuffed it into my bag: I didn't want to chance breaking it, before I was ready to examine it more closely.

Soon enough we were on the island, inside of an old mining shaft. Around us, hundreds of wild Pokemon flitted about. Was it unethical to train like this? Part of my conscience said yes, but what little training I had received met the question with a resounding no. However, if the Pokemon over in Almia weren't mindless, then were ours?

It didn't matter though. Nil had to get stronger so that we could succeed. She dashed off, to go and pick fights.

Most pokemon required a trainer to fight, but Nil was free willed: she was completely fine training by herself. Unfortunately, that left me alone. Alone, and wondering what I should do while I was here.

My attention turned back to the crystal.

It only ever became charged when in contact with my skin, during which time I could FEEL it draining energy from me until it became charged. I could blame the charging through the pants on the very thin canvas fabric, but I was sure that I would be able to isolate it from my skin via a thick shirt. Was it a battery of some sort? If it was, then the only way to test it out…

Would be to go and pick a fight myself.

I looked around carefully, to ensure no other trainers were anywhere near me. The last thing I needed were rumors of being some sort of monster. Once I was confident that I was alone, I searched around, trying to find the weakest-looking Pokemon in the area around me, all the while wondering what I would have thought a year ago about this decision. I wasn't even sure that the effects of the energy were: this was going to be my test.

I spied a particularly weak-looking Geodude, and prepared myself.

Summoning the energy, I hurled a sphere of it towards the Geodude. It collided against it with a loud crackle. Dark purple sparks of energy crackled around the Geodude, which emitted an acrid smell. Whatever the energy did to it, it definitely didn't heal the Geodude.

Now angered, the Geodude began to slowly move towards me, but was greeted by another energy ball to the face. Unlike before, I wasn't feeling more tired, only slightly more stressed as the angry rock ball began moving slowly towards me. I threw another towards it, but it flew wide, striking the cave floor rather than my intended target.

Five more balls of energy later, the Geodude keeled over unconscious. I doubted my attacks were powerful enough to inflict lethal damage.

*Well, that wasn't so bad.*

*Huh?*

*Picked a fight with a Geodude, and won.*

*Really?*

*It took six of those energy balls, but it went down. Are the geodudes tough?*

There was silence for several moments, before Nil replied.

*No, they're pretty much the weakest thing here. I can take them down in one hit.*

*Ohh...*

Shrugging my shoulders, I picked another few fights, until the fatigue began to get to me. By the third fight, my aim had improved substantially, which really helped hit the Golbat I had angered with a particularly spectacular miss. I had no clue how badly moving would affect my aim. By the tenth, I was exhausted enough to force me to take a break.

That wasn't to say that I fought perfectly, of course. While the Geodudes weren't the fastest things alive, occasionally they landed hits. Sure, to another Pokemon, they'd be mere taps, but a Human isn't quite as sturdy: by the end of it all, I was covered in bruises, and cut in several places. Nowhere vital, of course, and barely enough to slow me down, but still a noticeable amount.

*It's kinda weird how sometimes I don't get tired.*

*Weren't you planning on looking at the crystal?*

*Oh yeah.*

I lifted the crystal by the chain, and examined it once more.

Its surface was clear. Completely uncharged. I placed a finger on the crystal. My exhaustion reached nauseating levels as the surface of the crystal darkened back to its charged state.

Shrugging my shoulders, I called my energy again, and placed it against my wounds. I watched them slowly fade away.

Once again, the crystal was clear.

*Nil?* I pinged

*Yeah?*

*It's a battery all right.*


	25. Collision

For the next three days, we camped inside of Iron Island. Although I had set up a small tent in the upper part of the mine, both Nil and I split in different directions to go train. By the second day, I deemed my aim decent enough, and focused my attention towards seeing how fast I could open a portal. On the third day, I went back to practising fighting, but I did my best at incorporating the portals as I fought. It took a lot of practice, but eventually I had mastered being able to open a portal fast enough to block an attack.

I had taken to wearing the crystal pendant while I slept. Although it drained my energy to charge it, I assumed that if I let it charge while I was unconscious, I wouldn't even notice. I was right on all points besides the last. Whenever I awoke, I'd always have a pounding headache.

Still, every little bit seemed to help, and by the third day, I was confident that I wouldn't be helpless should trouble rear its head while Nil and I were separated. I still wasn't a combat monster, however, since Nil had to bail me out when I bit off more than I could chew several times.

Although I mostly trained to pass the time while Nil got back into the rhythm of fighting, a small part of myself knew that there was no doubt that some day, I would need to be able to defend myself.

However, we eventually decided to move on. While we were certainly making progress, there was no point of spending more time here.

One quick refill of depleted supplies and a quick rest back in Canalave later, and we were back on the road.

Our next destination lay to the far north, in a city known as Snowpoint. Having seen this, I quickly turned around and purchased winter clothing. As Nil saw me going for the hat isle, she did her best to make herself scarce.

The trip was lacklustre, save for the occasional trainer looking for a battle, and the omnipresent wild Pokemon around us. Once or twice we ended up fighting off a trainer, but the training had helped immensely. So, rather than worrying, we turned our attention towards the world around us.

* _Hard to believe that it's already this cold,_ * I commented, * _We're barely a day's walk from the last town. Compared to this, Canalave was tropical._ *

* _It's not that bad. Although, I for one did NOT enjoy being soaked by that trainer's Prinplup._ *

* _Eeesh. That might get slightly uncomfortable._ *

* _I'll be fine. I've already shaken myself dry. At least we haven't seen snow yet: that would really have sucked._ *

By the time we had begun to see snow, we had ceased communicating. These long walks were nice for talking, yes, but even better when it came to just relaxing. Just as I had assumed earlier, I truly did miss doing this, despite how boring it seemed in passing. My mood had only gotten better as we continued onwards; the brisk air helped clear my mind and focus. Unfortunately, it appeared to have put me into an inquisitive mood.

Another day of walking later, the snow had become a foot thick. The leaves of the bushes we passed clicked together like wooden sticks, having lost all elasticity or pliability to the sheer power of the eternal winter. I walked up to one and bent a leaf, causing it to shatter like glass. How exactly did these bushes manage to survive up here, if they were constantly frozen solid?

I looked up to see another trainer, busy romping about in the grass: apparently in search of a wild pokemon. He appeared to have an idea of where to go, and thus might have been of use to get directions from. Not wanting to bother him, I waited for him to be done.

By all means, he looked pretty generic. However, his hat appeared to have soaked through and then frozen solid, and his nose was running faster than… well… me when I screw up. Were other trainers simply unaware that winter clothes existed?

The trainer finally found what he was looking for, and summoned a Luxray. His opponent, a Snowver, took a single hit from a blast of electricity, and then collided with a thrown Pokeball. The ball moved for a little bit, and then ceased. Was this how Pokeballs were supposed to work? It certainly didn't blow up in his face. I noticed that the swirling blizzard around us died down a little bit as the Snowver disappeared from view.

My greatest question came when he retrieved a red device from his pack, and scanned the Pokeball with it. It clicked for several moments, before emitting an audible ping. The trainer then picked up the ball, glanced towards his full holding belt, and instead moved the ball to his bag. It was then that he noticed me.

"Huh. A trainer? Do you want to battle, or something?" he asked, in a rather high-pitched tone.

"Just wondering how close we are to Snowpoint."

"Oh! Shouldn't be much further. I just came back from the gym, and decided a Snowver would help round out my team."

"Also, isn't it cold without winter clothes?"

"No, not really. Personally, I think you look a little dorky in them. Only the people who live here full-time ever wear those."

"Okay. Last question. What was that device you were holding?"

"You're joking, right?"

"No. I seriously don't know."

The trainer rolled his eyes at us.

"You seriously don't know what a Pokedex is? You have one, for crying out loud!"

"No. I don't." I said flatly.

"What? I don't believe you. They're standard issue. Come here, you'll probably recognise it when you take a better look."

The trainer's device was red, and rectangular in shape. I had seen several of them in the Pokemon distributor's office, but was never offered one. I had assumed that they were his.

"So… What does it do?"

". . . It scans Pokemon, and lets you register captured Pokemon as your own. Otherwise, they won't listen to you." his voice was flat, as if I was playing a joke on him.

* _. . . What._ * I groaned.

"So if… for instance someone didn't have a Pokedex, what would happen?" I prodded

"The pokemon wouldn't listen, that's what! It's sorta pointless going off without a Pokedex. Heck, there'd be no way you'd make it past the first gym without it. OH! And since yknow, the Pokedex registers the Pokemon as yours, anyone could steal your Pokeball and then register it as their own, and you'd have no way of getting your Pokemon back."

* _WHAT._ *

Nil and I looked at each other for a moment. Had all of our mistakes been caused by a simple misstep, of someone forgetting to give me a tool? Even so, with everything that had happened, and I wasn't willing to even imagine it having changed.

* _Remember, if we had been given that device, you'd still be in that ball..._ * I reminded Nil.

* _You're right. Pain is better than imprisonment any day._ *

"I uhh… think the person who was supposed to give me mine forgot to."

"So you DO live by Snowpoint then? The clothes certainly match."

"No. Couldn't be farther from the truth. Anyway, this is the seventh badge I'll get."

"What… Really? Six badges without a Pokedex? That's insane!"

He paused for a moment, before replying again.

"By the way, I never told you my name. I'm Jack." He gestured to the Luxray. "This is Spa… This is Kilo."

"I'm Vis…"

"Wait a minute. Were you in Eterna Forest, two years ago?"

"Has it really been two years? It was definitely closer to only sixteen months ago."

"Wait… Did you not have a Pokedex back then, either?"

"Nope."

Jack beamed at us.

"My last two years have been crazy."

I couldn't imagine his experiences having been more crazy than mine.

"Mine too." I said with a small smirk.

"You remember, Kilo, right?"

"Wasn't he named Sparky before?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I was really really bad at names back then. Kilo actually sounds cool! It's short for Kilojoule! I saw it in a magazine!"

"Well, I should be off."

"Good luck! I nearly didn't recognise you, what with those tight winter clothes and whatnot. Heck, your scarf is completely covering your face!"

My clothes weren't tight. In fact, they were quite loose. I wondered why he had made that mistake.

By the next day, I had finally arrived at Snowpoint. Overall, the trip had taken four days: much longer than any other route in the region. The air here was crisp, fresh, and completely frigid. Dense trees ringed the outskirts of the city, obscuring the countless Pokemon I could barely see flitting about in the darkness beyond. Three young children were building Pokemon out of snow, even as the snow continued to fall about them. It was pretty early, and we were quite tired.

Shrugging my shoulders, Nil and I decided to take a rest in the PokeCenter, before continuing to the gym. If anything, I was ecstatic to be able to defrost somewhere warm. I began removing my thick headgear as I approached the front desk.

Just like last time, they asked the same questions. Name, profession, badges, age. However, unlike last time, I had a bit of a conflict with the last question.

"Excuse me, but you don't look fifteen."

"I'm certain I'm fifteen."

"There's no reason to lie."

"I'm not. I'm really fifteen."

". . . Can I see your trainer card, please?"

I presented my card, foul look on my face.

"Oookay then. You'll be going to… let's just say room B."

I had no clue what was going on.

As I checked into the sleep hall, I was met with mocking and snickering from the other occupants: both of which I did my best to ignore.

"You're a bit short, aintcha."

"You sure you're in the right room, kid?"

I shrugged my shoulders. These novices didn't have crap on the nightmare-wraiths that had plagued me not a month ago.

The evening came quickly.

The first thing I noticed was that my face felt funny. However, the second thing I noticed was that the rest of the room were doing their best to choke back laughter. One of the largest spoke, in a poorly-inhibited voice.

"Good morning."

I rubbed my face for a bit, and my hand came back black. I shot the room an angry stare, before leaving as quickly as I could. Behind me, I could hear a chorus of laughter, but also a single, quieter voice.

"That wasn't as funny as I had hoped. Kid barely even reacted."

My first stop was to the restroom, where I claimed a changing area and hastily moved towards the mirror. It seemed that I had slept in a room full of jokers.

My entire face was covered in black marker, with black rings around my eyes, and several crude drawings on my forehead. Although my left cheek was bare, my right was adorned with a strangely-detailed drawing of a Magikarp, which apparently was on fire. In addition, it seemed that someone had applied lipstick as well, completing the image of being completely humiliated.

Twenty minutes later, and I had managed to completely remove the lipstick, as well as heavily smear the marker. I still looked stupid, but it looked more like concealment facepaint now, rather than just a hideous prank.

I threw my clothes on, walked to the front room, and began absentmindedly donning my winter clothes once more. Of course, my hat was full of snow, which crawled slowly down my back. I left without a word, more annoyed than actually angry.

* _Any clue why those people were such jerks?_ *

* _Well, you were definitely the shortest one there._ *

* _Ah. So just idiots?_ *

* _Probably._ *

The Snowpoint Gym was a gigantic ice rink, with a nearly frictionless surface dotted with flimsy styrofoam barriers. There were three layers of this gym, each securely separated with padded barriers: designed to stop trainers without hurting them, I assumed. They were completely opaque, without any sort of hole for falling through. I successfully cleared the first layer, before spending a good two hours trying in vain to complete the rest.

Already annoyed from my experience earlier, I decided to just cheat. I directed Nil towards my target: an obscured stairway that lead up to the Gym Leader's platform. Three seconds of surveying the area around me later, and I had opened a gate to the stairs, out of sight of trainers on both sides. Nil joined me a moment later, as I opened a smaller portal behind her to bring her towards me.

Finally, confident now that my farce had succeeded, I proceeded towards the leader's dias.

The battle was inconsequential, and one-sided in my favor. It was the conversation afterwards that was interesting.

"So, before I give you this badge, tell me how exactly did you manage to get up here without clearing the puzzle."

"I must've picked up something that gave me a bit of friction," I lied.

"Huh, that usually doesn't happen. Are you wearing cleats, or something?"

"No, but I think the pulverized styrofoam slowed me down a bit."

"Crud, another one? Normally we'd have to reset the gym, but since you've already come all this way up… Might as well just give you the win. Hmm… We should hook up a fan or something to clear the ice. This happened before, and I'm sure it'll happen again."

A bit of begging later, and one of the assistants skated over to help me get back to the entrance. I couldn't help but ask about the styrofoam barriers. My response was about what I expected.

"Originally, the barriers were snow. That was fine for a bit, up until the time no one came into the gym for a good week and a half, and we forgot to replace the barriers. … The barrier had frozen solid, and seriously hurt the trainer that ran into it. Since then, we've decided to trade some authenticity for safety. Same thing for the padded rails: some poor kid went flying into the pit once."

The assistant laughed quietly.

"At one point, this gym got us referred to as 'Splatpoint City'. We're still trying to kill that image."

"Does this sort of thing happen a lot?"

The assistant looked at me a bit shiftily.

"More than our leader lets on. Styrofoam doesn't exactly break nicely, but usually it just slides over to the side. However, sometimes the large pieces slow impacts enough to stop someone completely, which leads to your situation. And, just keep this between you and me, but this ice isn't as perfect as it looks: we've seen people able to just walk over it with just a bit of focus."

As we reached the entrance, the assistant gave us a few words of encouragement.

"Good luck, kid! Only one more Gym to go!"

It had been four hours since I had started; and I stood outside the gym once more. The moon had nearly reached its zenith, signalling near-midnight. My options at this point were either to check back into the PokeCenter, or to start walking.

The walk, in the snow, which was freezing, dark, and we were tired.

Or, we could go back to the PokeCenter.

We chose to start walking.


	26. Rejection

**This chapter might be edited later on. I'm not entirely happy with its quality.**

 **:Edit: I'm unsure whether or not this story warrants a T rating, or whether it is fine with a K+. I will need to change the rating later for sure, so I'll do it now as a precaution.**

* * *

We hit the trail back immediately: there was no point in wasting time on this trek. Still, the sheer calm and cold assisted thinking once more.

We were in the home stretch now: only one more city before I could go home. This one was in the southeast region: actually not that far from my hometown. Speaking of hometown, I thought once more about my missing Pokedex. Was it really a mistake? I wanted to believe it was.

In the back of my mind, I was suspicious that everything had gone exactly as planned.

At the halfway point I withdrew my Trainer card once more, and took a closer look at it. While it did have my old name on it, it lacked a picture, nor any other sort of information to identify me as a person. Only name, date of birth, and hometown. It was less of a personal identifier, and more of a print-off of a sheet of information. Excess.

On the second night, we suffered another nightmare. This one, seemed to be designed to show us something, rather than break us, as seemed to be the last.

Nil and I were both here. Above us was a new moon, around us, a single, isolated island. A pool of water sat in the dead center, above which sat a strange, winged creature.

As we approached closer, additional shapes formed around the creature, taking the appearance of chains; binding its form to the land itself. The chains only became thicker and more numerous as we approached further, before finally coating its entire surface as we entered within arms distance.

Whispering came from behind us, as we turned away from the prisoner. Three more creatures, similar to the last, approached us from behind, seemingly oblivious to our presence.

All three shapes were similar to the prisoner, but wispy, immaterial, even translucent. They glided forward, inching ever closer to their brethren. Each had something unique about it, but all felt extremely similar.

The first one crackled with energy; like all of the power in a storm had been forced into its form. The second one's eyes echoed red with malice. The third's form was covered in runes, just slightly darker than the rest of its body.

One by one the spectres approached the chained one, and were absorbed into it. The runed one turned to me and spoke, just before it disappeared.

"P̧erh̨a̡p̶s we şhou̢ld̵ t͝haǹk̴ y̶o҉u.̵ ̨Yǫu̵r … ąs͘s̵ist͢an͞cé ͘ha͘s̕ śa҉v҉e͜d ̵u͟s ̡c͘e̛nt̷u̢ries͝.̕"

As the last spirit disappeared, the Chained One awoke. It glanced about, saw its bindings, and shattered them all in a single movement. It flew southward, away from the island. Coming from somewhere above, a different voice spoke out.

"The truth is crystal clear, but the answers are wreathed in darkness. When doom approaches, seek the seal, to face the coming storm."

I awoke confused and disoriented. There was still plenty of ground left to cover.

Not two weeks later, we had successfully collected my last badge. In fact, I also received a ribbon with the date, and time on it; as a marker of sort. And now, my journey was seemingly at its end. Also by then, I had begun attempting to put together the dreams I was beginning to experience.

I knew that whatever the creature was, it had an interest in me. I didn't know its motive, nor its name, but I did know it was powerful. It seemed that the nightmares were infrequent, and often unrelated to the situation at hand: not a single piece of evidence towards the supernatural crossed our path.

Still, I continued onwards, happy to finally go home. Happy to be acknowledged as having succeeded. Happy to say hello to my family.

I don't remember my family's names or faces either.

My home town… What did it look like? I don't know, but I do know what happened.

Two months later, I stood in front of my home town… And knocked heartily on the door to the distributor's office. I remember his spectacles, and his words, but not his face…

"Hello!" he greeted

"I managed to get all eight badges. I was told there was a reward?"

"Uh. Okay, can I see your trainer card?"

I retrieved my card and handed it to him. He stared at it for several moments, before running inside and retrieving a clipboard. Loud, vicious swearing emanated from within the building. Minutes later, he returned, and spoke quietly.

"We uhh… don't have your personal files on hand at the moment."

"By the way, did you know that you forgot to give me a Pokedex?"

The distributor gritted his teeth.

"We were having some issues that year. I blame poor organization."

"So when will you be able to get my files?" I asked, trying my best to understand what he was concerned about.

"They were deleted… Due to a virus. Yes, a virus. We don't have them on hand, and neither does anyone else."

"So uhh… can I at least go see my family?"

"That… Isn't recommended."

I stared at him, before leaving anyway. What was the worst that could happen?

I knocked on the door to my own house, and one of my parents answered the door. I… greeted them, and was treated as if I was a stranger. I even dropped my old, real name. To this, I received a singular response.

"Who?"

Despair was one of the emotions I felt, along with rage and betrayal. Attempting to question various members of the town that I had known as a child only returned denial, or even worse, plain apathy. I felt like I wasn't a person. And perhaps, I wasn't.

I wasn't needed here. I wasn't WANTED here. And above everything else, I wanted to leave once more, and not come back. However, there was still a single thing that I wanted to know before I left. And to do that, I'd need to break a couple rules.

I waited for night to fall, and for the distributor to leave. Then, under the cover of night, I opened a portal into the lab.

I managed to log onto the distributor's computer: it seemed that he had simply been lazy and not set a password. I opened up the list of Trainers that had left the town, and scrolled to the month I had left.

My name was absent.

My name was completely absent. Even my birth records were gone.

It was like I had never existed.

I continued to dig through files, hoping desperately that I was simply on another list. I didn't find what I was looking for. Instead, I found something much worse.

One of the documents described, in excruciating detail the real purpose of the Pokemon Journey I had been sent on. However, my attention was particularly drawn to the minimum age.

These bastards had killed me off as a triviality. A mere footnote, not even a person. They sent me out because I was weak, and a liability, to my death, and they hadn't cared at all. In fact, I was certain that they still believed I was dead, and they had moved on without nary a thought.

Even worse, even the trainers that had to be sent out early were to be given a Pokedex. Was I really that much of an issue, that they'd go so far to ensure I was gone? I could feel swirling disgust in my gut, as I scanned the rest of the document, confirming my concerns.

But, I didn't want violent revenge.

By all means what they had done was wrong, and I wasn't wanted here. However… I wasn't willing to take out my anger on them… Even though they deserved it. Instead, I sighed, shut down the computer, and turned to leave.

Just because I didn't want to hurt anyone severely, it didn't mean that I didn't hate the bastard that had sent me out. I grabbed every bag of coffee in the entire building, and brought it with me to later dump into a sewer. Sure, it was petty, but it wasn't like I could burn their lab down, or damage vital lab supplies.

I briefly turned my gaze towards the Pokedexes laying on a table, but decided against damaging them. Even though I had gone through hell, there was no point in subjecting others to it as well.

Now that I think about it, I had taken it pretty well. It had been so long since I had been in my town, that I had forgotten it as well. Mutual ignorance.

Within an hour, I had left my… their town.

Nil stood beside me, having been quiet through my entire ordeal. Finally, after we had left, she spoke up.

*Wow.*

*It's hard to believe that they thought I was dead from the start, huh?*

*I'm sure that they had reasons to do so...*

*I'm sure they did as well. After all, I've had pull myself out of certain death… what, nine times so far? There's no way they'd have thought I'd be able to survive that. Not to mention that I was forced to take up ruins crawling to keep myself fed? I had million-to-one odds, there. Almost no chance of success or survival.*

*But yet you did. You managed to live through everything, and make it through more or less unscathed.*

*I might have survived, but the kid they sent out did not.*

I retrieved my… I retrieved the Trainer card I was carrying. It read the same as always. Name, hometown, age. All of it, now a lie. I no longer was called that name, I could no longer call that town my home, and I was born two years ago. Inside of an ancient ruin, which destroyed my life and allowed me to begin anew.

*It seems kind of grim to carry around the trainer card of a dead trainer, no?* I spoke.

*I suppose.*

I lit a fire on the road, fuelled by broken sticks and coffee beans. I waited for it to reach a decent size, before I hurled the last true remnant of my old life into the dead center. I watched it melt, adding the acrid scent of burning plastic to the fumes of burning coffee.

On one hand the caffeine made me feel energized. On the other, the plastic made me want to retch. Sort of like my life: ups and downs. I didn't bother putting out the fire as I continued northwards.

Thus ended my first journey, and in its place, a second began anew.


	27. Infiltration

**I hope at this point I haven't warped my premises too badly.**

 **AveragePichu: It's not so much pathetic as the fact that it has been several years, and everyone had expected him to have died. So, when he showed up, but not only looked extremely different from what was expected, they simply didn't recognise him. They had all moved on.**

* * *

The ruins are dark, but my thoughts are even more foreboding. I pause, to allow Nil to voice her thoughts.

*Why can't I remember any of this? It feels… so important.*

*Perhaps you've simply just forgotten it?* I lie. I do this without even thinking: I have had plenty of practice lying to myself over the past centuries.

*But it doesn't make any sense. I could vaguely remember what had happened in Almia, but this… This is new. I can't recall any of it.*

*Perhaps that is the only thing keeping you sane?*

*What?*

*You'll understand soon enough. However… the truth… won't be pretty. It wasn't back then, and it won't be now.*

I shake my head. Nothing was perfect, least of all us.

* * *

The next eight years were a blur. Time and time again we wandered the country, in ever-vigilant search of finding a new purpose. By the third year, after having become bored of simply battling the occasional aggressive trainer challenging us, we registered at one of the towns as a trainer, citing my current age to be thirteen, and my hometown to be Veilstone City (which by now, was partially correct). I even jumped through the hoops once more, bulldozing my way through the badges again under my new, confirmed identity, but such tasks brought little pleasure any more.

Everything continued to feel hollow, as if I had burned much more than my old card that day. Around us, the world shifted and changed, yet we were simply caught in the flow.

The entire time, I slowly honed my abilities under the cover of the night, in places away from the regular paths of trainers. Slowly but steadily, I mastered my talents, but even that brought me no joy. Even worse, the nightmares had begun to happen even more frequently, at one point they were occurring three times in a week, each time as terrifying, and confusing as the last.

However, eight years, two months, and three days after I had burned my card, something else changed.

I was in Jubilife City at the time; watching the Sinnoh broadcasts, in hope of finding something new and exciting to pursue. I found it, when a broadcast interrupted the news report I was currently watching.

The screen showed a dour looking reporter, with bags under his eyes, and his jacket torn, and his hair caked with dirt. Behind him, was a destroyed facility. The entirety of the facility was ringed by metal fences, each crowned by barbed wire, and I could see sparks of electricity crackling coursing through the fence. Whatever was on the inside of the fence, no one wanted to get out. The reporter spoke, noticeably stumbling over each word. At the bottom right of the screen, in nearly-invisible text was the time of the original recording: nearly two months ago.

"I'm here in Orre. Behind me, is a… research laboratory which was previously owned by a… company known as 'Cipher'. Just a week ago, an… industrial accident happened within the building, which caused a bit of an… oil leak. Yeah, oil leak. Police crews have evacuated the area, and hopefully, within the next week, citizens should be able to return back to their homes. Unfortunately, we've needed to capture all of the wild pokemon around the area, in hopes of… making sure they're not hurt."

From the background, a voice screamed out, from inside the complex. It drowned out what the reporter was trying to say, and caused the reporter to flinch..

"HOW THE HELL WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT WAS CONTAGIOUS? IT NEVER WAS CONTAGIOUS BEFORE!"

The reporter did his best not to drop the ball.

"That was… one of our janitors. He recently came down with a… cold. He's… not happy about… being sent home without payment, because we can't afford to get sick right now. This oil spill really caught us off guard, and we've had to… field all of our staff, in hopes of getting it cleaned up as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he's… got the flu. We'll keep you updated as the issue. Thank you."

The reporter glanced backwards, visibly wringing his hands as he gestured for the cameraman to cut the feed. However, just as the feed was dropped, the background voice cried out once more.

"THIS IS BAD… IF THIS GETS OUT, WE'RE SCREW-"

The video cut to a different reporter, this time a much older woman. She was nervously staring at the camera.

"Umm… It seems one of our… former… maintenance crew decided it'd be funny to play a… joke on all of us. I apologize if any of our viewers are panicking because of it.: we will be reprimanding the joker VERY shortly…"

Yet another voice called out from the background. This one was muffled, as if being yelled from several rooms away. I had to strain myself to fully understand it.

"They deserve to know! This is serious! I can't believe noone..." the voice snarled, anger thick in their voice.

"We now return to our regular schedule." the speaker continued, trying her best to drown out the background voice.

"For those of you who are just now with us: the previous recording was a joke. We are reprimanding the person responsible for scaring so many people. We are very sorry for any disturbance this may have caused."

I fully expected the people around me to be panicking, or at least to look afraid. Instead, they left the building, bustling about how a "damned idiot causing some panic" and the video had "nearly gotten them worried for a minute there". Not a one seemed to be concerned about the voice from the background.

That voice from the complex… had a sincerity that could not be faked. I could feel the person's panic from their words… and when such news was made public, it was covered up, rather than acted upon.

None of the people here saw the danger approaching. No one dared question their own safety. No one cared enough to wonder why there was a coverup for another coverup.

It sounded a lot like oncoming doom to me.

Over the years, the dreams had whispered things to me. Often, the whispers took on one of two voices: one of hatred, and one of calm. The hatred would tell me to yield, to give up, while the calm hinted at something being hidden that we had missed. Something important.

A part of my mind lamented the inability for dreams to ever be straightforward. Why couldn't they ever be straightforward, rather than a pretentious display of vagueness intermixed with false information?

Still, we had clung onto the information of having missed something, and scoured Sinnoh top to bottom, in desperate search of a purpose. We had even returned to the City of the Lost several times, camping out where it had all begun. It took a while, but we had eventually gotten a feel for the ruins, and had made it to the lowest floor, past the trap that had changed our lives. The bottom floor was more or less empty, however, save for numerous charged crystal shards which speckled on the floors. We collected them all, before we exited the ruins.

What we were searching for wasn't in Sinnoh. We knew that for sure now. The only other place we had been besides Sinnoh, was Almia.

Once again, I had a goal, and a destination. Canalave City was only a month's walk away from Veilstone, less if we bribed someone to fly us out there. We couldn't find anyone willing to fly us to Canalave, so we were forced to walk. However, our trip was slightly different than before.

Twice, an Absol crossed the road, stared at us for several moments, and then continued moving across the path. Strangely, it seemed that this sort of occurrence unnerved the trainers I passed greatly. Despite age or gender, every trainer responded the same way to being questioned.

"Absols are harbinger of ill fortune," they explained in a flat tone. "How do you not know that?"

Even through what they perceived as an ill omen, the trainers continued unhindered, resolute. It was almost inspiring, how little their own revelations affected them. I could only imagine what they were thinking, being so aware, yet so clueless.

Eventually, I arrived at Canalave City. The harbor was a bit more tightly packed this time: more than a hundred travellers flooded in from the boats. Many of the incoming people were wearing ragged clothes, or were wearing desert garb… I did my best to stay calm.

In the straightest face I could muster, I approached the front desk, and ordered a ticket to Almia. I was asked for my trainer card.

I presented my new trainer card to the cashier, followed by the money for the trip. This cashier was not the same one as the one I had met eight years ago, and blinked several times as I handed her the exact amount of money needed for the trip. Remembering little things like that was easy. It was forgetting trauma afterwards that was hard.

Another trip on a boat later, and we were in Almia once more. There were four places I wanted to check, and I was extremely antsy to begin as quickly as I could. Of the places that seemed likely to house what I was searching for, the most likely ones were the old oil platform, the temple in the desert, Almia tower, and Chroma ruins.

I shuddered involuntarily upon thinking about Almia tower. That would be that last place I'd check. There was no way I'd dare exposing myself to that crystal again… without being completely sure that I had a very good reason to do so.

I even came up with the most efficient plan of sites to check: first the rig, then the ruins, the temple, and then finally the tower. I would likely need to buy or borrow a boat to get to the rig, but I knew where it was.

Of course, my plan was compromised as soon as we exited the boat. This time, there were a lot more than two border guards: there were a grand total of five. I did my best to walk confidently towards them, hoping desperately to avoid a misunderstanding.

"Hello!" I said, slightly nervously.

One of the guards glanced towards me, and then quickly scanned the area. She spotted Nil, and then quickly spoke.

"Sorry, but you're going to need to ball your pokemon right away, we've got a bit of a situation at the moment. A few pokemon that have been brought in have been causing issues recently, so we're not allowing outside pokemon to enter here unballed. Mostly just danger control right now."

I did my best to try and wheedle my way through.

"I've got papers right here." I spoke, while holding out the papers the Chairswoman had given me, eight years ago. Another one of the guards grabbed the papers, glanced carefully at them and then back at me.

"Eight years? You look identical to this… Are you sure that you're the same person?"

"Genetic defect. Very sensitive about it." I lied. I had no idea why I hadn't grown, but by making it awkward, I had a better chance at sneaking through unquestioned.

"Uhh… well, I'm sorry. Either way, while you're clear to come in, your pokemon is not; you'll need to ball her up and store her, or leave her with us."

"Well… She doesn't have a Pokeball."

"Huh. Well… We could put her into quarantine for a while then, we do have some spots left, right?"

"Yeah, one of the Rhydons we thought was bad has been cleared, so we have space." replied another guard.

"Well, we could hold onto your Umbreon for you, if that'd work. We'll need to watch her for three or four days though." continued the first guard.

I saw a chance to ask some questions, and took it.

"This doesn't have anything to do with what's happening in Orre, right?"

There was a brief pause for several seconds. One of the guards began shuffling a stack of cards, while another glanced away. There was no hint of any of them revealing anything with obvious questions. I instead took an alternate approach.

"What happened in Orre…" I paused, taking in a deep breath.

"It wasn't zombies, right?"

The silence returned once more, before one by one, the guards cracked smiles and began laughing. The nearest one replied, loosened up a bit.

"Haha, no. Thank god. It doesn't affect humans. … aww crap."

And once again, they all clammed up. The one who spoke seemed quite flustered. Whatever they were hiding worried me deeply.

"What are those cards you're shuffling, by the way?" I asked, hoping to deflect the conversation away from the sensitive topic I had just poked.

The guard shuffling the cards looked up, and appeared much more confident: this was likely something they were allowed to answer.

"These are passes. Right now, every citizen has one, for the time being. You get in trouble if you don't have one, but they're free. To be honest, they seemed sorta dumb at first, but they've helped us catch some smugglers quite recently, so they're decent at what they do."

"So you've carded everyone, and they need these cards to do… what exactly?"

"Uhh… Well, right now there's routine checks. Some smugglers were making runs recently, and they dumped a ton of wild, invasive pokemon into the preserves. They had to spend a while to clean them up. At least, that's what I've been told."

"And if I gave you my Umbreon, how long would she be in quarantine for, before I recieved her back?"

"About a week or so." replied one of the guards.

Nil and I looked towards each other. We were a team, and knew that we'd be much less effective separated. And if we were to go to any of these places, we'd need to be at full strength.

*How are we going to do this?* I asked

*We could… well… I think if you go through and get your card, then I can sneak away and meet up, or you can portal me directly to you. I'd be pretty careful though… they know you can make portals.*

*And they'd be able to trace it directly back to me. Right. Well, infiltration it is.*

"Okay, so I'll give you my Umbreon, here, and can I have the card that'll let me through?" I offered.

"Fine by us, kid. By the way, seriously. Are you SURE you're not the owner of the paper's little brother or something? You look IDENTICAL."

I could only shrug my shoulders as I was given a card, and walked began to walk through the gate.

Only to be stopped.

"Oh yeah, nearly forgot to search his bag."

They were about to say something else, before I cut them off.

"Yeah, yeah. Doesn't matter if I'm a civilian, the Chairswoman, or even the avatar of Arceus himself. I've heard it all before."

They were halfway through digging through my bag, before they found the elephant in the room.

"Kid, are you aware that you're carrying contraband?"

"Contraband?" I asked, mentally kicking myself. Of course the shadow crystals would be suspicious.

"Yeah, there's about twenty or so of these crystals here. Where'd you get them?"

At this time, all five of the guards had their attention focused upon me. Nil took advantage, and sneaked through the gate when they weren't looking. I wouldn't have agreed with her choice, but she was obviously getting impatient.

"I found them in a ruin in Sinnoh. I know that they were confirmed to have been found in Almia, so I brought them in to be examined." I explained. The best lies were veiled in truth.

The guards chattered amongst themselves for several moments, before they collectively shrugged and let me through.

As I walked into the distance, I could hear one of them ask.

"So, which one of you guys has his Umbreon?"


	28. Discovery

**Hopefully I'll be able to keep up my update schedule, but the next few chapters will be a little bit harder to write than my previous ones.**

 **Worst case scenario, I'll drop my update schedule to once every 10 days. I don't want to do that, though.**

 **Also, What Lies Beyond...**

 ***Cheshire cat grin***

* * *

The mood this time was much different than before. Several of the houses in the town were boarded up, although it appeared that every care was taken to hide that fact from view. People still bustled about on the roads, but they walked with a sense of urgency; something had shaken up the people here. To our luck, no one recognised us. Who would? We were minor heroes eight years ago, but time changes, and memory is the first thing to fade.

*They probably think we were some sort of mythological figures, huh?* I smirk.

Nil glanced blankly back at me for a moment, before catching onto what I was saying. *Maybe. I don't know if they even got any decent pictures of you.*

*Well, we had our twenty minutes of fame. I'm glad we're not being recognised now.*

We stuck to the sides of the roads, and several times I had to stop and relax: being tense all of the time was far more suspicious than walking or running with a goal. We still didn't know whether they had reported Nil as having gone missing, but were unwilling to find out, if it was not necessary. Strangely enough, there were very few Pokemon on the road, save for the occasional weary-looking beast of burden. Even stranger, there was a much stronger Ranger presence than before: several times I saw a person on a Staraptor pass by overhead.

Once, I even saw the Staraptor carrying a net containing something in its talons: obviously a Pokemon, but it was badly injured. It sent shivers crawling down my spine.

As I left the city limits, there was another checkpoint. I presented my card, but was asked a strange question.

"Do you plan on taking your Umbreon out into the wilderness?"

The answer was obviously yes. However, the tone was entirely wrong for a routine question: my answer would be important.

"No." I lied. "I'm hoping to get to my destination as quickly as I can."

"Stay on the road." I was told. "If you see anything suspicious, keep your distance. Don't let your Umbreon eat anything."

By the end of it all, I was freaking out.

*What the HELL is going on?* I sputtered.

Nil wasn't much help resolving it. *Just… let's get there as soon as we can. Then get out of here.*

Since when has a plan we made NOT gone off the rails?

We had made it halfway to the rig, before a rustle in the bushes drew our attentions. Looking towards each other, we slowly approached the bush.

Out popped a Ratata. It stared at us for a second, its mouth frothing, its eyes empty, and its fur matted.

Then it charged us.

To my credit, it didn't reach us. In a panic, I kicked the rodent, sending it flying back into the bushes in a low arc. A few moments later, it collided with something with an audible thump. Still, it had left saliva on the leg of my pants and my shoe.

Only then did we speak up.

*Hyper-aggressive little bugger.* I groaned.

*Just be glad it's only a Ratata… Something bigger could cause real damage.* replied Nil.

I stuck my head into my hands.

*Let's just get going before that happens again. I don't know if there's more of them.*

The rest of the trip was mostly uneventful. We kept a wary eye on the bushes, and the few times we passed other humans, they followed our gaze and nodded.

We arrived at the Oil rig by the next morning.

Luckily for us, Pueltown was definitely not far away from the oil rig. Travelling overland, we arrived within sight-distance of the rig within a couple of hours, which quickly closed to immediate contact via useage of gates. As before, the rig was abandoned and rusted, but it seemed that the crates had been cleared. Portions of the rig had been disassembled, meaning that they were likely harvesting the structure for scrap, a sentiment I could support.

The doorway rattled open as we stepped inside, determined to find… whatever it was that we were looking for.

Just like the outside, the internal structure had begun to be salvaged, with the once ever-present crates being replaced by several broken, rotted planks.

The upper and ground floors were completely spotless, and were strangely completely bare of pokemon. However, the occasional click of claws on metal and vicious growling emanated from the barracks area…

I grabbed the sharpest-looking metal scrap I could, and as quietly as we could, Nil and I descended. The clicking grew louder as we approached one of the storage areas near the barracks. We had no clue what was on the other side… but from our paranoia, feared the worst. We got ready to open the door, before my resolve broke. With just a hint of fear, I voiced my decision.

*Uhh… Let's… check out the rest of this floor before we open that. We don't… know if we'll… need to run.*

Nil did not complain.

We checked the prisoner storage area, to find it vacant and empty. The barracks was a different story.

One of the beds had obviously been in use recently. Its sheets were made, and an empty can still containing residue sat beside it.

Finally, we could no longer push aside the storage room. We threw the door open as quickly as we could, stepped through, and then closed it again, in hopes of keeping whatever was in here trapped.

At the far end of the room, a good twenty-five feet away, was a Buizel, which was resting atop of a blanket. Its head turned towards us as we approached, and its beady eyes revealed no emotion.

*Nil, you're able to communicate with it, right?*

*Yeah. One of these days, I should really teach you how to do that yourself.*

Nil cautiously said hello to the Buizel. Four seconds later, she tried again. After that also failed to elicit a response, Nil resumed talking to me.

*It's not responding. Maybe it can't hear us? I think we should move closer…*

*But be careful. We don't know what it is, and if it's what I think it is… * I shuddered. I silently prayed that it wasn't what I thought it was.

As we closed the distance to fifteen feet, the Buizel had begun to emit a loud growl. Nil's explanation was not comforting.

*Its growl… doesn't actually mean anything. It's not trying to communicate at all… at least not in a way I can understand it.*

*So… It's nonverbal, and it was dangerous enough to lock in here.*

It was when we closed to twelve feet that the Buizel finally reacted. It immediately lifted itself off the ground, its growl increasing in pitch and volume. Nil and I lept back, being fully prepared for the creature to charge. Instead of charging though, the creature just released a high-pressure stream of water.

The stream missed as we scrambled back for the door, the Buizel continued to blast at us from a range, before moving to chase us when we escaped the twenty-foot maximum effective range of its attacks. Wasting no time, we opened the door, and threw ourselves through it. We heard the Buizel's claws click violently against the reinforced metal walls for several moments, before the clicking and growling stopped entirely.

*So it was nonverbal, highly aggressive, and extremely territorial?* I asked, thankful that it wasn't going to tear down the wall to continue chasing us.

*It doesn't make sense… Usually wild pokemon at least say SOMETHING when asked. Even if it's just insults or taunts.* Nil retorted, in a tone just as relieved as I was.

*I wonder if that was one of the "ferals" that the border guard were talking about.*

*Likely. I… am glad that this one was just a Buizel… If all ferals are this aggressive, I shudder to imagine what a dragon could do.*

Our conversation was abruptly halted when we looked to our left, revealing a very concerned and terrified looking man, holding a bag full of food.

"Uhh… Hello?" I asked, once again taking up a position to teleport away.

"Oh god please don't report us to the rangers they'll take Lenny he's just misbehaving right now he's not hurting anyone and he's not dangerous I promise that I'm watching him as best as I can so he doesn't hurt anyone I'm so sorry if he's scared you but he's just scared please believe me," the man blurted out in an instant.

A slight wave of relief washed over us as we loosened our stances slightly. Whoever this was, he'd be unlikely to report us to the Rangers.

"Relax. We're not going to report you to the Rangers. However, I need to know, what exactly is wrong with that Buizel?" I said, in the calmest voice I could manage.

Our impromptu contact breathed heavily for several moments, before continuing.

"I live in Orre, but I had to come over here for a bit. Lenny started acting funny. First, he got all itchy, then he stopped listening to my commands, and then he started growling at me when I got near him. At that point, my pokeball stopped working on him, and I had to lock him up in there. I threw him a blanket from a safe distance, and he used it as a nest, so that's good, at least."

"What do you mean by your Pokeball stopped working on him?"

"I mean that the registry got corrupted. The anti-thievery protocol that the Pokeballs have stopped me from being able to recall him, and since I wasn't the owner any more, I couldn't wipe his trainer data to recapture him."

*This is bad. If this is what everyone's talking about, then the sooner we get the information we need, the better.* Nil whispered

*We gotta get moving right now!*

We immediately began to sprint away. The man began panicking again as we fled, but only managed to fearfully spout a few words before we had escaped to the roof and warped out.

"Oh god please don't tell..l" were the words we heard, as we sprinted towards our next objective.

* * *

Chroma ruins was much further away from the rig than the rig was from Pueltown, a good two hours of solid running. Unfortunately, running full tilt was impossible, with the patrols, and the occasional passing travellers. In fact, the patrols were suspiciously common here, at nearly double the amount of Rangers in the air than the other areas. We wondered why, until we had that question answered forcefully.

After travelling about a third of the way to the ruins, we once again hid off the road to let incoming travellers pass by. It was a wagon of sorts, being pulled by a Rhydon, of all things, when suddenly, two Pokemon, a Beedrill, and a Gligar, came tearing out of the bush around me, and charged the wagon. The aggressing creatures circled the wagon several times, slicing apart the structure as they did so. Not a moment later, the sound of a Staraptor descending that heralded a patrol arriving.

With practiced finesse, the Ranger retrieved some sort of net thrower from her bag, and fired it at the Gligar. Several more seconds of aiming later, another net flew towards the Beedrill. Finally, the ranger opened the cabin, handed a handful of currency to the occupant, and lifted off, two feral pokemon in tow. The wagon carried onwards several moments later, as if this was not something particularly rare.

We also encountered several ferals as we continued our trek, and while we definitely could have escaped them, we instead chose to knock them unconcious. Every time, the ferals went down harder than the average wild Pokemon.

It seemed that the closer we got to the ruins, the thicker the density of feral Pokemon, which likely lead to the source, or barring that, just meant that this area was less developed and patrolled than the rest of Almia.

It was near nightfall when we arrived at the Ruins, which was under much heavier guard than before. Shrugging our shoulders, we circled around, while doing our best to avoid detection. Both the upper and the lower entrances were guarded by about a dozen personnel with communicators, along with the occasional firearm. Both of those things made being revealed the last thing I wanted.

After several circles of the area, we still had no clue how to penetrate the extremely thick security. I asked Nil, in hopes of puzzling out a solution.

*Any suggestions?* I asked Nil

*Is there a particular entrance you want to go in through?* was the response.

*The upper one, if possible. That one leads directly into the area we need to check.*

*Could we distract them or something?*

*I still need line of sight to get up there.*

*... You could throw me up there, after they're distracted, so you can warp yourself in after me.*

*That'd be a bit dangerous, but it'd work.*

*Then you better not screw up.*

*Now what to use as a distraction...* I muttered.

Several things to throw were discussed, before we went with the easiest solution of just throwing some energy spheres. As the night was suddenly lit up by the convergence of several flashlights, I sidestepped backwards, and raised Nil above my head. From there, Nil jumped off of me, (causing me to stumble), and onto the upper terrace. She then did her best to sneak past the now-confused guards.

*Okay. I'm inside.*

A short warp later, and we were both inside of the ruins, more or less undetected. From there, we began our search.

Although we found several loose crystals, which we pocketed for later use, there wasn't much in the way of leads. There, we sat down, and I began charging several of the larger crystals, pocketing them as soon as I no longer felt them draining me. Nil watched curiously the entire time.

*So if you touch a crystal, it charges?*

*Yeah? I thought you knew that.*

*I wonder if I can do that… Lemme go find a crystal that's uncharged.*

Nil trotted towards the center of the room, looking down as she did so.

*This one here looks almost square. I'll try it.* she continued

I stood beside Nil to watch. As expected, she also was able to charge the crystal. As it fully charged, a large, cracking noise filled the air.

*Uhh… Oh no.* we spoke at once.

The ground was split in two below us, neatly bisecting the crystal we had charged. In an instant, where we had stood, now was a pit. And then everything we saw was darkness.


	29. Chosen

**. . .**

* * *

We fell for what seemed to be hours, with no bottom in sight. Around us, walls ringed us in, studded with the same crystals that coated the inside of the ruins. Every one of the crystals was obsidian black, yet radiated a feeling of terror. Of being watched. Of fear. It felt like my nightmares, except only this time, it felt real.

We collided with the unseen ground, blind, crippled, lost. Around me, my vision swam, as strange shapes flitted about in the darkness, ringing around us, inching ever closer with malicious intent.. Echoing, mocking laughter rang out from the depths, punctuated by the sound of crashing metal, the scent of blood. I backed up, away from the noise, but found nothing but a solid stone wall. The shapes inched ever closer, with every one of their steps being punctuated with the horrible grind of claws against stone.

I searched for Nil, in hopes of grabbing her, and escaping from this horrible place. I couldn't see her around where I was, nor could I sense her location.

I did, however, find her, among the shapes, the only recognizable form among the horde of thousands approaching. It was torn, bloodied, battered, and still. I asked, begged, called, in hopes of receiving a response. Everything was silent, bar for the scraping of claws.

Several of the shapes lunged towards me, warped, twisted things, devoid of emotion. They swiped towards me with blades the length of my arms, and I could not dodge, as the long claws tore at my flesh. I could feel pain, and the sense of losing my consciousness again, but oddly, the scent of blood did not grow stronger.

* _Vis! Snap out of it!_ * came a voice from nowhere.

I heard Nil, and could still feel her presence. It radiated, not from the body, but somewhere to my left. I shaking, I took in deep breaths to calm down, the pounding in my skull lessening slightly. The next assailant missed completely; it collided with the wall behind me, and dissipated into dust. Two more of its kind did not, however, and still found their marks. I was keeled over now, forced to my knees from the pain.

* _None of what you're seeing is real! Wake up, dammit!_ *

I focused, but found no strength to do so. I could feel a sense of wrongness now, I knew I was trapped, but could not find the strength to see what. The shapes, in a seemingly desperate fashion, began to attack even faster, with a dozen this time rising into the air, in hopes of striking me down.

* _Dammit. For the record, you made me do this!_ * warned the voice.

A jolt of pain coursed through my body, centered on my right leg, scattering the shapes from my vision. It wasn't like the pain the shapes were inflicting: whereas their injuries merely caused pain, this new sensation was finally causing adrenaline to kick in. I could feel something cold running down my leg. I focused on that feeling, and found my strength slowly returning.

Another jolt of pain, this time from the left leg, further cleared my vision. The shapes had all but disappeared now, but now those which remained had gathered together, in a single, disdainful will o'wisp. It was of the same form as the rune-covered being I had seen in my vision, the one that had spoken before. It spoke again, in a voice of terrifying, unimaginable power..

*You͡r͘ resi̶s͜t̛an͘c̶e ̢s̶h̷al͞l c͘h͘an̵g҉e̕ no̸t̸h͟ing. ̢ ͏Su͘r̀r̨end͞er,͡ ànd ṕe͏r͞ha̶p̵s y̛o̸u h̀a̢v̵é ͠a ͞ch̸an͟ce ͏to s̢u͡r̴vi͡ve.*

I did my best to put up a brave face towards the creature, but it only laughed.

*G̶ooḑ. ̡ ̶Yo͢u̵ f͏e͏ar m̢e, às ̸you s̛ho̡uld,͜ m̛o͘r̕ta͟ļ.*

Once again, a blast of pain rocked my body. The air seemed to crackle with energy, before shattering like a broken mirror. My scream filled the air, as the last of the shapes finally faded. I was facing up from the ground, flat on my back. Directly in my vision, was Nil, whose mouth was full of blood. I responded mentally, praying that my scream was not heard..

* _Stop! I'm okay now… I'm okay…_ * I spoke, weakness obvious in my voice. I glanced towards my legs: they had pretty nasty puncture wounds, but I would heal. I had survived worse.

Nil slowly moved off of me. She spat the blood from her mouth several times, but she was more or less fine.

* _What the hell WAS that thing?_ * She asked.

* _I don't know… but I've seen it far too many times now to think it's a coincidence. Did you see this one?_ * I responded. I hoped that she hadn't, I wouldn't have wanted to inflict that punishment on anyone.

* _Not through my eyes, no. I broke out too quickly for it to take hold._ *

* _How did you break out so quickly?_ *

* _You landed on top of me, asshole._ *

* _Oh. Ouch._ * I winced.

* _And how did you see it, then?_ * I backpedaled.

* _It… the thing… I could FEEL it. It was trying to pull me in. I was able to resist, because I knew it was there. It still managed to pull me halfway in, but not enough to really do any damage._ * Nil cringed. * _Whatever that thing is, it's powerful. Too powerful: we'd have no chance against it if it wanted us dead._ *

I sighed, as I raised a hand, lit it with energy, and pressed it against my injury. * _Great. Another thing that could kill us at a whim._ *

Once more, my gaze turned upwards. A dark tunnel ascended into the darkness, but beyond it, I could see the faint shimmering of the room we had fallen from. A twenty-foot drop, if even that.

I couldn't help but wonder about the purpose of the trap we had triggered. As far as I could tell, charging the crystal had dropped the floor out. We had triggered it by some sort of fluke. Similarly, there weren't any direct hazards under the trapdoor, but the fall would have been enough to seriously injure a human. I was extremely lucky to walk away unharmed, as was Nil.

The wounds on my legs and chest had fully healed now, at the cost of the charge of my necklace. I pulled myself up off of the ground, and looked about, trying to find any hint of a way out. I identified two prongs of stone, jutting out of the ground, but nothing else, besides a single tunnel, leading deeper into the depths. Seeing no other choice, we both entered.

Although crystals still glimmered on the walls here, every single one of them was charged. I had heard that most of the charged crystals had been extracted already, but I doubted that any explorer would have been able to get down here to grab these ones. We briefly considered prying out as many crystals as we could, but decided to put that off for later. Right now, our priority was finding a way out.

We turned a corner to find a small room. A few metallic gears jutted from the wall, but they were jammed with a loose stone. However, this paled in comparison to what else was in the room. The important thing was carved directly onto a wall, this one uniquely bone-white. Four images in a triangle adorned the wall, three forming the points, and one in the dead center. Each of the images depicted the creature we had just seen. They were carved in masterful detail.

The topmost image showed the creature encircled in runes. The leftmost detailed it being inside of a diamond, likely a crystal. The rightmost was not apparently bound in any sort of way, but its eyes were hollow. The center, was chained, and bound. Below the images, was another, this one of a human handprint.

* _That's… probably not a good sign, is it._ * I breathed.

* _Nope. I'd say quite the opposite._ *

Whatever this thing was, it looked like it was being held in four different prisons. We knew it was out of our league, but this only confirmed the fact: we were out of our league. With no other option, I pressed my hand to the print. Amusingly enough, it didn't fit perfectly; my hand was slightly slimmer, longer in the middle, with a shorter ring finger. I briefly mused about the purpose of the print, before I could feel the stone draining my power.

* _What in the world…_ *

Nil cut me off, replying quickly. * _Vis, the wall's changing!_ *

I jolted my hand back, and turned my attention back towards the wall. The crystal, as it began to charge, obscuring the carvings, and they had begun to be replaced by a different set. Reading them as still mostly gibberish, I placed my hand back against the stone, hoping to watch the stone as it changed.

The ivory stone quickly darkened and warped, erasing the carvings from its surface. However, to replace it, was an epitaph, which filled the room in blazing red light. I couldn't help but be terrified by what read upon it.

* _Oh no…_ * we spoke at once.

 **A creature exists, of malice, and pain,**

 **Driven by hunger, it feeds upon the weak,**

 **Its maddening state drove the being insane,**

 **As its powers had only begun to peak,**

 **.**

 **Once, long ago, the creature did arise,**

 **As if from an eternal sleep,**

 **Aware of a purpose it would despise,**

 **A purpose it decided it would no longer keep,**

 **.**

 **The end of an era, the death of a land,**

 **United, man and gods, they struck the creature down,**

 **Together, they protected the world, as their final stand,**

 **And ripped from the creature its immortal crown,**

 **.**

 **They tore it asunder, and sealed it away,**

 **Its power stored in crystal, as black as its very heart,**

 **Its mind sealed in magic, negating its sway,**

 **And its body, continues its task apart.**

 **.**

 **The sigil remains, black as the night,**

 **The circle, pristine, unbroken,**

 **The world itself, safe from its blight,**

 **Reality prospered, strengthened again,**

 **.**

 **But the seals are imperfect, the words imprecise,**

 **can only hold for so long,**

 **It awakes, it breaks free from its blackened vice,**

 **as with time, it shall only grow more strong.**

 **.**

 **For the hero, warped beyond their own form,**

 **Survivor of the very same force he shall fight,**

 **Aided by a kindred soul, they face the oncoming storm,**

 **To end the darkness and prevent the eternal night.**

 **.**

 **Finish our ritual, our last, final stand.**

 **Prevent the cruel fate of the world, that this fel creature has planned.**


	30. Cowardice

I stare at the ground, as I wait for Nil's response. It comes quickly.

* _WAIT. THAT'S where the prophecy is from?_ *

* _Indeed._ *

* _So all of this... Luck?_ *

* _Luck, planning. Decades of debating the impossible, finding loopholes in a prophecy we could not possibly complete._ *

* _But yet..._ *

* _It's not over, not yet. There's still one last step. The final step, the step that we cannot do alone._ *

* _You're still not telling me something. What exactly..._ *

* _Guilt. I've been the only one to suffer this, for centuries now._ *

* _What could you have possibly done?_ *

* _You'll see..._ *

* * *

We were both silent for a long while, as we stared, horrified, at the inscription we had inadvertently revealed.

* _Oh no._ * both our voices rang, at the exact same moment.

We wanted to understand what we had just beheld, but that was rather low on the priority list, just below 'panicking' and 'hidinging in a corner'. First, we'd have to get out of this pit, and then head back to Sinnoh. We did our best to ignore the glaring message of doom, and instead turned to find the way out.

* _Do you see anything else around here? Maybe there's a way up somewhere?_ * I asked.

* _Just one second. How the hell would this room make any sense, if it only activated after we opened it? It's supposed to be for telling people how to stop that THING that's been watching us, but it's completely unopened!_ *

Although this didn't directly help us in getting away, I couldn't help but be curious about this, myself.

* _. . . Wasn't the crystal moved?_ * Nil asked.

* _Why … Oh crap._ * I lowered my face to my hands.

* _Maybe it was in case it broke free by itself, then whatever was in the crystal would be unable to prevent the door from unsealing. Maybe as some sort of bizarre over-complicated failsafe_.* continued Nil.

* _Still! Are we even going to try and fight that thing? We dropped twenty feet and then were completely at its mercy! Not to mention the fact that it wasn't even using half of its power. That thing is a god, do you really believe that we have even a ghost of a chance at standing against that thing?_ * I spat back.

* _We… we…. We'll find a way. I swear. But right now, the most important thing is to find a way out of here: being trapped down here when people might be looking for us is not a good feeling._ *

We spent the next while searching the room, checking for a lever of some sort. Eventually, we gave up, turned back towards the gears, and using a hammer, smashed the rock jamming the gears out. We heard the grinding noise of stone on stone from the room we had fallen into, loud enough to be clearly audible from down the tunnel. We rushed back, where the jutted stone had ascended to form a previously-hidden ladder.

Now happy that we had a way out, (and terrified that we may as well had made too much noise), we began to extract crystals from the walls. If we were even going to survive an encounter with that thing, we'd need all the healing capacity we could. It took some effort, but we eventually had about a dozen crystals the size of an eyeball, and two dozen about the size of a fingernail. It was menial work, but it took our minds off of the situation, and helped us calm our heart beats to a more manageable rate.

Now calm, I placed the crystals into one of my smaller bags, tied it closed, and placed it into my bag. Then came the simple task of climbing the ladder, then gating Nil up top. One final check later, and we strolled out of the ruins, more knowledgeable and wealthy, if not entirely happy.

Directly into the guards who we had snuck past earlier.

Nil and I froze as we came face to face with them, but they did not move either. In fact, it seemed neither of us was willing to make the first move. We all stood silent for about a minute, before I decided to throw caution to the wind, and jumped off of the plateau, into the swamps below. The fall knocked the wind out of us, but we recovered quickly: the last thing we wanted was to be questioned about why we were in a restricted area. Not to mention that we had over ten pounds of shadow crystals in my pack.

We could only assume that the guards would alert the rangers.

It took us a little less than a week to get back to the docks. That was more than enough time to come up with a plan.

It was entirely likely that the guards had already linked us to the damage done to the ruins. After all, a massive, gaping hole in the crystal room would definitely stand out, and they had made direct eye contact with us over an extended period of time.

However, we hadn't actually done anything particularly wrong. The hole was obviously not done by us, as it was clean-cut, and we had an alibi of investigating the crystals in the ruins.

Thus, our way back was simple. I hid Nil in the trees near the harbor, and gave her my pack. Then, I walked directly up to the border, and asked to pass.

They asked me about my luggage. I responded that it had been abandoned in a rush to escape a vicious wild Pokemon.

They asked about my intention in the ruins. I blamed being an impulsive teenager who was interested.

They asked about the hole in the ruins. I blamed triggering a trap, and having spectacularly bad luck. Nil snickered at me as I said that, to which I could only shrug.

They asked about the crystals I was carrying on the way in. That was easy: I stated I had left them with a geologist. They prodded me further, but I staved them off by dropping Nicole's name.

They asked me about my Umbreon, to which I glanced at them sadly. They took the glance as meaning that I had lost her somehow, and did not press the matter further.

A quick pat-down later, and I was let into the docks. From there, it was a simple matter of boarding the boat, feigning illness, and then rushing to claim a stall in the bathroom. Sure, it was humiliating, but I couldn't smuggle an Umbreon aboard a sea vessel otherwise, and I had to get her on board before I was out of range. Opening a portal was hard enough: trying to open one on a moving vessel would be nearly impossible, not to mention dangerous. She brought my pack with her.

A little bit of quick thinking later, and I had stolen an "out of order" sign, and placed it upon Nil's stall. It was a quick and shoddy fix, but hopefully it'd be enough to stave off any suspicion.

Eventually we arrived and I disembarked. One gate later, and we were both back in Sinnoh.

* * *

* _Uhh..._ * says Nil. I don't respond.

* * *

We arrived back in Sinnoh, and set to work getting ready for whatever was to come, training hard, doing research, everything we could to make sure that when the time came, we would be able to stand against what was to come.

Three months later, it began.

* * *

* _Why are you skipping so much of it?_ * Nil asks.

Through gritted teeth, I reply.

* _Because I hate this part._ *

* _What?_ *

* * *

The time came, and we knew we weren't prepared. We did our best to be useful, but that wasn't merely enough. Our struggles were about as effective as you'd expect.

We were absolutely useless against what opposed us. We were deluded to think otherwise. We were but a single pair of untrained individuals.

It wasn't merely some aggressive, rampaging Pokemon, which would have been extremely dangerous, but at least confined to a single area.

Oh no. Instead, it hit Sinnoh like a tidal wave.

Reports began to appear on the news of massive swarms of aggressive Pokemon. These swarms, each over a hundred strong, began to gravitate to cities. There, they attacked without mercy, running down anything and everything they could catch. Survivors would flee for hours, before the aggressive Pokemon were finally convinced that they had chased the intruders out of their territory, and lost interest. Panic suffused the region as cities fell one by one. Some towns could not simply mobilize before the hordes consumed them, leaving behind only the bones of dead towns: destroyed houses with smashed windows, downed power lines, and the occasional scattered wreckage of an annihilated automobile. There were human remains too, but they rarely lasted long.

People began to flee to most defensible cities, hoping to hole up against the oncoming hordes. These cities were Eterna, which had the natural defenses of being surrounded by many mountains, Sunnyshore, which had enough raised terrain to slow down attackers, and Snowpoint, which was isolated enough to hold its own.

Where the humans once had pride, they now had fear. And we were no better. Just like everyone else, we fled. We ran away, and hid with the rest. We hid, and prayed that the danger would pass.

Our prayers obviously were too loud, because the swarms attacked not three months after we had arrived.

Three months after we had arrived, we were wandering about the lowlands, a good half-hour's walk away from the city. The aura of panic that the citizens now emitted had begun to drive us a little stir-crazy, and we were only allowed out this far, on the grounds that if we saw anything suspicious, we'd return back.

The town itself was decently fortified, and the city itself was far from undefended: some of the region's best trainers were standing vanguard over the city, alternating in shifts to allow two-thirds of the elites to be awake at all times. They were supported by the PokeCenter staff, who stayed close by, ready to heal Pokemon as they were rotated out. We had a steady supply of medicines, and several trained nurses for humans as well.

They were more or less able to be ready for a mindless horde of extremely dangerous Pokemon to attack the city.

And on that day, was the greatest mistake I have ever made.

As I said, we were wandering about, hoping to counteract cabin fever and the inescapable paranoia that infused the town. I had raised a couple of eyebrows back in town about my lack of using Pokeballs, but even though they didn't know how exactly I did it (I made sure never to reveal what exactly I could do, for fear of persecution, or even worse, betrayal). I was treated like the rest of the young trainers who made it to safety: a war asset, but not a very valuable one. Luckily, I had a talent that made me slightly more valuable: they knew that I was an excellent scout.

And as the furthest out scout, I was the first one to see what was coming.

In the distance, a seemingly brown wave approached. At the distance of a hundred feet, the wave became distinct enough to identify individual Pokemon. All rushing at the fastest speed they could go, all directly towards the town.

The best thing to do would be to open a gate directly back to town and warn everyone of the incoming horde. I'd be ostracized, but I'd save the town.

The most intelligent thing to do would be to run back to town to warn the others. I'd be exhausted, and barely make it in time, but the town would be warned, and they would be able to mobilize before the entirety of the horde hit the walls.

What I actually did?

I panicked.

By the time I had gotten a hold of myself, I found myself in the highest branches of a nearby tree, completely concealed. Nil was beside me, confused, but just as afraid as I was. From there, we watched. We watched our mistakes come to a head. I watched it all end.

The defenses had only partially mobilized by the time the aggressive Pokemon had hit city limits. Trainers of all sorts flooded from buildings, summoning whatever they had on hand. Behind them, terrified eyes peered from behind windows and doors. Support staff ran to and fro between trainers, but were unable to coordinate effectively. All in all, there were about a hundred defending Pokemon, thirty-six defending trainers, and about a dozen support staff.

The first group of Pokemon made it into the town. They were beaten back, without any effort at all. But this group was followed by another, and then yet another. Soon enough, two groups were attacking at once, then three, then four. The creatures began to hit other flanks, forcing the formidable defenders to split their efforts. At this time, the trainers began to do something, unlike I had ever seen before.

They had begun to make sure the attackers were dead. Whether it was by panic, or by sheer desperation to prevent another horde, they began to send out fast, but powerful Pokemon to execute the fallen aggressors. It only drove the feral Pokemon into a frenzy.

The blazing light of energy illuminated the city as attacks from both sides rained down upon their foes, each deadly missile painting the land a macabre mishmash of light. But yet, the horde kept coming. And no matter how strong the walls were, everything eventually falters.

As the attacks grew in intensity, the support staff became more and more frantic, which led to mistakes. From mistakes, overestimates were made. And from overestimates, failure was inevitable.

I watched as a trainer's Infernape was grabbed, and then torn apart. I watched, as the lines broke again, and the defenders all retreated back to the town square, in hopes for a last stand. I watched the civilians exit the houses to join the surviving trainers, faces grim, and eyes dull.

I watched. Completely useless.

A few of the younger trainers had long since attempted to flee, but they had no chance: they were downed in but a blink of an eye.

The houses around the square fell in but moments, as particularly destructive Pokemon toppled them with ease. I watched couples exchange final words as the roiling sea that was the wild Pokemon surrounded them, and begun to press forwards.

Before the sea was violently forced back.

In a blaze of psychic light, a Pokemon, resembling one of the supposedly legendary spirits which inhabited the great lakes of the region, appeared above the now confused humans. It turned its gaze down upon them, and spoke, its voice a whisper, but clearly audible.

"I will not stand idle. Although it is our duty to watch, we shall not abide a slaughter." It spoke.

The aggressive Pokemon began to charge once more, but this time, they collided with nothing but empty air.

The entire surviving population of the city, and the creature itself were gone. To where, I had no idea. The humans, if they were still alive, likely assumed that I was ambushed and slain by the horde.

It took little more than a day for the horde to completely disperse. During that time, the air was filled by the soft sound of footsteps on snow, punctuated only by the screams of those who had hidden, rather than joining their fellows in the town square. About twenty hours later, the sounds had completely stopped.

We climbed down. And rather than leave right away, I made another mistake; to examine what was left of the town.

The skeletons of wild Pokemon littered the ground amidst the toppled buildings, their flesh long since consumed by their ravenous brethren. The occasional pile of human bones, marked by the spattering of blood, and the occasional scrap of fabric, lay isolated, the area around them long since having been stamped flat by the horde. And there, amid the slaughter, amid the death, destruction, and sheer desolation before me… something broke.

I fell to the ground laughing. It was a pained, horrible laugh, one of hopelessness, and despair.

"Hero. As if! We can't fight this. There's no way we could possibly fight this. The ruins were a lie; we were doomed from the start. And now, we've seen it first hand. It took a fucking creature only known about in legends to rescue these people, and even then, it couldn't save all of them. What hope do we have?" I choked out.

Nil didn't interrupt me.

"We've got no hope. No chance. The best option now, the only option now… is to die like the others."

Nil's silence was broken immediately.

* _Wrong. We've still got plenty of time. You're right, victory isn't an option. A draw isn't an option. But the best solution isn't yours. It's to survive._ * she spoke softly.

"But… How? You saw them come! How could we possibly survive THAT? They overran an entire CITY, for crying out loud." I was entirely in hysterics now, halfway to breaking down entirely.

* _We go where they'll never find us._ * Nil locked eyes with me.

We had to return back to where nothing would find us. To a place nothing escaped from unchanged.

It was time to go home.

* * *

* _Why were you so reluctant to tell me these things?_ * Nil asks.

* _Every day when we were trapped down here, terrified of the world above, the guilt slowly gnawed away at my… our sanity. By the time we had confirmation that the world had stabilized, we had become inhuman. Uncaring. There was nothing left, because we had watched hope itself die in front of us. You had to fit in, to be normal. And whether you remember it or not, the guilt was eating you alive too. That's why we both decided that in order to survive, we'd need to erase your memories of your past._ * I speak, tone even.

* _We **what**._ * sputters Nil, a look of betrayal on her face.

* _There were legends, that there existed lake spirits that had the power to wipe memories of those who assaulted them. We both agreed that we would track one down, and get it to erase yours, either through peaceful discussion, or through forcing its hand, if it came to that. And we knew they were real: the creature that saved those humans was one of them._ *

* _And what happened?_ *

* _We found one. You found it. It had tried to flee, to warp away. It refused to listen to you, instead choosing to run away. Fifteen times you tracked it down and attacked it, and fourteen times it fled, injured. Only when you threatened that as long as you remembered it, you would track it down. You threatened to destroy it, if you ever caught it._ *

* _. . ._ *

* _That was enough for the spirit. It wiped your memory, and sent you away, fearing for its life. You woke up confused with a voice in your head, my voice. From there, I reminded you about who you were. Who I was. What had driven us to where we were, and what lay ahead. I omitted our loss, our guilt, and the time we spent below, slowly going mad as the years ticked by. And then, one hundred and seventy four years after we had fled below, and then five more after you lost your memory, you were finally ready to begin anew._ *

My partner stares at me in a mixture of shame and pity. I turn away.

* _So that's what the other us was asking you about?_ * asks Nil.

* _We both know that this lie could not have lasted forever. It was a comfortable lie, but only because I knew, that if it tore me apart as much as it did... I feared you would be unable to continue as well._ *

* _Now what?_ *

* _There is nothing more of my story. The view is dead. Left behind to rot in these ruins. I gave up everything, to give you a chance to succeed. And now we have. All that is left, is for us to wait._ * my gaze turns towards the floor.

* _So then it's my turn._ *

* _What?_ * My eyes slowly open.

* _It's my turn to tell my story. I've heard ours. It's time to tell us mine. The stories I learned, above on the surface. Isolated, but not alone._ *

I pause for several moments. I had always wondered about what lay above us.

* _I'd… Like that._ *

My fears were not true. No lie, no deception was enough to turn us against each other. We were tempered in darkness, forged by pain, and no matter what happened, we'd still stand strong.

And with that, I got ready, and began to listen to my partner's tale of the surface. The tale of the world I had left behind, the world that had changed without my interference.

* * *

 **And that's the end for the first part of this story. I'm marking it as complete for now, but will update it when I post the first chapter of part 2.**

 **Title for it is currently TBD.**

 **Thank you for your favorites, follows, and views. I'll see you all soon.**

* * *

 **UPDATE:**

 **Okay, so you probably think that "The Fall" happened too quickly. That is true, but "The Fall" itself would take an entire story by itself.**

 **I plan on writing said story, but I need time to do so, and I'm going to be busy for the next month or so: Exams and assignments have picked up and I need time to compose myself.**

 **Long story short, however, be on the lookout for two fics: "How it all came crashing down", which will detail the events of the Fall, and "Forgotten but not Lost", which is the conclusion of this story. Expect to see the beginnings of HIACCD pop up some time in June.**


End file.
